The OAO NBA Playoffs/Finals Thread

[NoCalMike 0]

Ok, I have a question: and no I am not trying to blame this on the loss at all, whatsoever, but I do have to ask for piece of mind:

 

 

What exactly is the rule when it comes to using your free hand to create space when you have the ball. It seems like whenever Cassell is driving or just has the ball, he just nonstop uses his free arm to push, elbow etc...whoever is guarding him. Now I am sure other people in the league do it, but I have never seen it done as obvious as the way Cassell does it. Is this perfectly legal or does this fall under "well he has a couple of rings, so he gets his own set of rules" ?

 

Thanks~!

[Guest OraleHolmes]

Any time you push off insofar that it is advantageous to the player doing it, it's an offensive foul. An example of this would be "hooking" with the free arm as a player spins on his way to the basket. Shaq, too, gets called for offensive fouls whenever he tries to create space with his free arm, albeit it's a little more blatant with him (i.e. an elbow). Ditto Karl Malone.

[Paul Stanley 0]

*extends hand of friendship to NoCalMike*

 

Thanks Kings for an exciting playoff series, i thought Webber was going to make it and go to OT, but didn't happen. I feel bad for him because he just went straight down afterwards and i know what it feels like to lose (Fuckin' Mavericks!). I hope the T'Wolves give a good challenge to the Lakers, cause they are still hungry.

 

 

Does anyone care about Pistons/Nets? Seems like all the excitement is on the West.

[NoCalMike 0]

I think the NBA has lost all of it's ratings though from here on out. The money was with the Kings/Lakers series. The Finals are pretty non-important, since the West has dominated for awhile now.

[NoCalMike 0]

*extends hand of friendship to NoCalMike*

 

Thanks Kings for an exciting playoff series, i thought Webber was going to make it and go to OT, but didn't happen. I feel bad for him because he just went straight down afterwards and i know what it feels like to lose (Fuckin' Mavericks!). I hope the T'Wolves give a good challenge to the Lakers, cause they are still hungry.

 

 

Does anyone care about Pistons/Nets? Seems like all the excitement is on the West.

Thanks man. Good series. Congratulations and hope you can pull off the upset against the Lakers.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

We can always hope Karl Malone's knee explodes while Kobe Bryant simulataneously retires from the NBA just as Shaq chokes to death on his own slobber.

 

But yes, the only real hope at beating that team now is Indiana and thats just because they have Artest who can give Bryant a headache. That leaves the problem of the 400 pound elephant in the middle but I'm sure Jeff Foster's Angelina Jolie lips will think of something.

 

Nets over Detroit by 2. I have no idea why I'm going with this prediction but I am.

[NoCalMike 0]

Any time you push off insofar that it is advantageous to the player doing it, it's an offensive foul. An example of this would be "hooking" with the free arm as a player spins on his way to the basket. Shaq, too, gets called for offensive fouls whenever he tries to create space with his free arm, albeit it's a little more blatant with him (i.e. an elbow). Ditto Karl Malone.

so why exactly was Cassell allowed to do it any time he wanted to right in front of the officials' faces!?!

[Paul Stanley 0]

Cause Cassell would knockout one of them if he got fouled? I love Cassell but brotha has to calm down sometimes.

[NoCalMike 0]

Cause Cassell would knockout one of them if he got fouled? I love Cassell but brotha has to calm down sometimes.

Cassell is clutch. However I must express my annoyance at the guy for questioning every single freaking call against the T-wolves. I mean come on, when you obviously foul someone, just take it like a man, and stop trying to explain things to the official.

[AlwaysPissedOff 0]

C'mon now, it's not like Kings players haven't done the same thing before. Hell, any other star player, for that fact.

[NoCalMike 0]

C'mon now, it's not like Kings players haven't done the same thing before. Hell, any other star player, for that fact.

no, no, you're right, but there is a difference between looking at the ref, yelling something to the ref, and the classic Cassell moves, which is put your arm around ref, grab a whiteboard, draw out the play for the ref, and go step by step as to why Cassell pulling someone's arm down is not a foul!?!

[AlwaysPissedOff 0]

Duncan does it all the time, complete with the huge bug-eyes, as well. Granted, putting your arms around a ref just to protest a foul doesn't happen too often, but I've seen quite a few times, this year especially.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

Cassel just knows if he works them enough, they'll get so fuckin annoyed that they'll give him the benefit of the doubt on another call in an attempt to shut him up.

[Paul Stanley 0]

Once again...

 

I love this game.

[Damaramu 0]

Lakers are gonna KILL the T'Wolves. Let's face it, the Wolves BARELY beat the Kings even when their star players -- Webber and Peja -- were CHOKING on Puss n' Boot's gargantuan hair ball of doom.

 

Kobe>>>>Sprewell

 

Payton>>>Gimpy Cassell aka Smiegel aka Gollum aka ugliest motherfucker in the world

 

Shaq>>>Ervin Johnson + Olowosucky

 

Malone>>>KG ONLY ON THE DEFENSIVE END. Like I said, Malone will outmuscle the pencil neck geek.

 

In conclusion, Lakers in 5.

Good god Orale. I thought I was bad about my overt OU fandom......but jeez......you need to take your Laker colored glasses off. I've read a lot of your post and most of them are Laker BJ's. And you don't seem to give anyone else credit against the Lakers. They aren't god's team you know.......

[Damaramu 0]

I think the NBA has lost all of it's ratings though from here on out. The money was with the Kings/Lakers series. The Finals are pretty non-important, since the West has dominated for awhile now.

Lost it's ratings? You say it like they had a choice.

What would you have them do? Book the playoffs better?

[Guest Crazy Dan]

Well Congrats to the T-Wolves. They were the better team, and I will be pulling them to beat the Lakers. But my hat is off to the Kings, who played their hearts out and never quit during the series. They just did not get the breaks that fell the T-Wolves way. I really do think that the lost of Bobby Jackson was a huge blow to the Kings, who I feel might have provided that extra spark the Kings were lacking at times. Plus anytime you lose the best bench player in the league, that is not going to bode well for any team, especially your backup point guard, who happens to be even quicker than Bibby. And also, with Webber's knee injury, and that 7 game suspension he had to serve ontop of that, I trully believe Webber never got into playing shape. And also it didn't help him be able to fully gel with his teammates. And boy Webber just did not look 100% for the games he did play in, missing many up close shots that he should have made. And so the groove the Kings were on, just never recovered with Webber's return. Damn that knee injury suffered last year.

 

But boy did KG have a great game tonight. That my friends is why he is the MVP, he carried his team in the fourth quarter and made the big shots when the T-Wolves needed them most. I have no complaints about this series. So far this has been the best series of the Playoffs. So many close games and so many great comeback attempts, even if they fell short on many occasions. And props to Latrell, Hoiberg, Cassell, and of course my boy Madsen. They came up big when needed, and the reason the T-Wolves move on to the Confrence Finals. They deserve to go. And they showed that they can withstand blowing leads, or have the ability not to quit and comeback as well. Proving that they were the number one seed for a reason.

 

I just wish that the Kings did not have that late season collapse, because this was a game the really needed to be at Arco, in order for the Kings to win the series. I also was disapointed that the Kings missed so many free throws (one of my biggest pet peeves). That was key factor in them losing to the Wolves in many of the games they lost. I have feeling that there are going to be some major changes to the Kings next season. (I see the Kings keeping Bibby, Miller, and Peja for sure, but I am not sure about the other players). I am thinking the Maloofs, who I know want to win, probably see that this team might have missed their window of opportunity. And some house cleaning might be on the horizon. And as much this pains me, I just don't think Webber is the player to lead you to the promise land (injuries, too many jump shots, and the inability to take it to the hole being factors).

 

But enough of that, we now have ourselves a very interesting matchup between the Lakers and T-Wolves. And I am sure most are thinking the Lakers are going to steamroll thier way to the Finals. So lets take a look at this series. The Lakers after playing like crap against Houston, and then looking terrible against the Spurs for the first two games, have all of sudden gelled. And their four straight wins against the team I thought was going to repeat as Champion was a very impressive feat. Kobe is playing out of his mind right now, and so I see him scoring many points. He will pose problems for the T-Wolves. Shaq, even though he his sort of beginining to decline, is still dominant, and the T-Wolves will have a hard time guarding him. That is why Olowakandi/Johnson better be prepared to at least try to at least slow him down. Gary Payton will give the Lakers at least 15 pts and numerous assists, and of course Karl Malone will also contribute nicely. So one will think that the Lakers will cake walk to the Finals, right?

 

Well maybe not as much as one would think. One advantage that the T-Wolves do have is KG. Malone is going to have a very difficult time guarding him. KG is quicker than Malone, can shoot from pretty much anywhere on the court, and is the type of player who will get a good chunk of points, which might lesson the effect of Kobe's points (I think Kobe will be the Lakers top scorer). For example lets say Kobe goes for 30 points. But if Garnett can go for 28 points it keeps the T-Wolves in the game and lessons the impact of Kobe's points. So now it becomes who the supporting players can do. The Lakers supporting players I mentioned above, so lets look at Garnett's supporting cast.

 

Latrell Sprewell - Has experience of leading his team to the Finals a few years ago. And he helped the T-Wolves win a few games during the King's series. He is capable of going off for many points and he plays solid defense. And he is a player that gave the T-Wolves energy when they needed it most at times. I am not sure who he will be defending, but who ever he does, he will cause some fits. And who on the Lakers going to put on him? The wrong defender could lead to the Lakers being driven crazy by Latrell. Of course if he is counted on to make game winning free throws, then all bets are off, boy does he have a tendency to miss the important free throws every now and then. But for a player who can drain threes or take it to the hole, that could be a big advantage for the T-Wolves.

 

Sam Cassell - Another player with playoff/championship experience. This is a player who could go for many points. And he shows no fear. And if his body can hold up, he could also keep the T-Wolves in games as well. As I have said, Payton is not as fast as he once was, and if Cassell can get his shots off, then the T-Wolves have a chance. Of course his legs might fall off along with his back blowing out, but Cassell gives the T-Wolves another scoring option. Just as long as he stays out of foul trouble and keep his mouth shut. Too many times I thought that his mouth was going to get him T'd up. He is another player that will score points and lessen the impact of some of the Lakers higher scorers.

 

And the final factor is that I do believe the T-Wolves have a stronger bench. With Madsen, Szcherbiak, and Hoiberg, the T-Wolves have had a very productive bench. And it is the type of bench that could help T-Wolves get back into games that they might be behind in. Just look at Madsen hustling to grab 13 boards. He is a player, who might not be the most talented, will still play his heart and out hustle many players. As the announcers have said numerous times, he can give you instant energy off the bench. And Hoiberg is having one of those good playoffs where if he is left open, will drain a three pointer. And his defense has been solid as well. And Wally is also someone who can be a very productive offensive player off the bench as well.

 

So I do not see this series being a 4-0, or 4-1 type series victory for the Lakers. But unfortunately, as much as this hurts me to say this, the Lakers are peaking at the right time. And with Kobe and Shaq, the Lakers do have a distinct advantage, as these are the players who know how to win it all. But the Lakers will live and die by these two players. As I said earlier, Karl Malone will not stop KG at all. And I also see the Lakers having a hard time guarding Latrell. And Cassell also has the potential to pose a problem against Payton as well. So this series will probably go to at least 2-2. And then the Lakers will finally have enough to tough it out and win the series 4-2. (I still to this day and to the day I die will alway hate teams that play "press the button" style basketball, and that is what the Lakers have done this year, and pretty much how they have played during their current string of championships, over the years, but hey if you can get away with it, go with it, even if I can't stand that way of palying).

 

But I do see some very close games, and so this will be a fun series to watch. And another thing to remember, the T-Wolves played the Lakers tough last year in the playoffs with a weaker team. And I know that many dioscount the regular season, but the T-Wolves did take 3 of four from the Lakers this season, so the T-Wolves do not fear the Lakers and will not roll over and play dead becuase they are playing the Lakers. This series comes down to who is peaking at the right time. Which is the Lakers unfortunately, but I am now T-Wolves fan for the rest of the series, as I have to pull for my boys Madsen and Olowakandi. So I hope I am proven wrong here, and the T-Wolves make the Finals. But, in all honesly, I do think that the Lakers will move on.

[Guest OraleHolmes]

Troy Hudson was on FUCKING FIRE last year. He gave the Lakers terrible fits, because of his quickness on the pick n roll and lethal shooting from the outside. If you thought Parker posed a problem for the Lakers, Hudson was much, much worse. Thankfully, Cassell is nowhere near as quick as Hudson, so I think Payton, who is very acquainted with Sam's game, will be able to contain him. Kobe will expose Sprewell in this series -- watch out for it. And like Kenny Smith said on Inside the NBA, Shaq doesn't have to guard anybody; not to mention, the Wolves don't have the big bodies necessary to buffer him. Shaq is gonna have a big series and pose problems for Garnett, as well.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Bryant will guard Sprewell. He's a good defender, so the Lakers shouldn't have to worry about that matchup.

 

The Lakers win in 6. The Wolves haven't even played that great. Game 7... KG is huge, the Kings play like crap and they only win by 3. This is how I look at things. The Wolves have to beat the Lakers 4 times. Not one time. But 4 times.

[Guest Brian]

They may get better ratings, but I think this series results in something more competitive and exciting.

[alfdogg 0]

KG has been on the All-Defensive 1st team the last FIVE SEASONS.

 

But yeah, he's not as good as Malone.

[Ripper 0]

KG has been on the All-Defensive 1st team the last FIVE SEASONS.

 

But yeah, he's not as good as Malone.

Has been leading his team in rebounds, blocks AND steals for years.

 

But he is no Karl Malone.

[Guest NCJ]

He is averaging about 25 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal per game in the playoffs, but he is definately nowhere near the player that Karl Malone is.

 

 

As far as the Lakers vs T-Wolves series goes I see this a little differently. Most of the responses I see when people talk about this series is that Shaq dosen't have to guard anyone and he will dominate the paint defensively. The problem with that is while it worked for the Spurs, the T-Wolves are a jump shooting team. Shaq being free to roam won't matter as much because he won't be close enough to block and affect most shots, and if he does leave his man to help on Garnett, Sprewell, or Casell all three can find the open man and are good passers. Kobe will still get his, but to do it he is going to have to work against Sprewell and Hassell. The two of them are going to make Kobe shot more than he wants to and dog him all day long. When Kobe gets frustrated he shoots more and that makes less chances for Shaq to hurt you. Payton is totally past his prime, and if Cassell can play like he did in game seven he is going to average 20 against the Lakers easily. KG is KG he is going to average around 30, 17, and 7 with 3 blocks and 2 steals in this series. Kobe is going to guard Sprewell, so I think you will see him contained to around 13 points a game in this series. Malone isn't a factor because he is a hustle player at his point. The Lakers will not go to him much with Garnett on him, and he will do his damage on the boards and with put backs. Shaq is the key, and he will put up good numbers, but I think the Wolves will probably hold him to around 24 and 10 for the series. If the Wolves had Hudson, and Wally Szczerbiak and Cassell were near 100% I would definately pick them. As is I think this will actually go seven games and the Lakers win in Minnesota. I hope and pray I am wrong and Minnesota pulls it out, but I am trying to be realistic.

[Ripper 0]

Yeah, I think the injuries will do the Wolves in. Just like I think that a one legeed no back Jason Kidd can't lead New Jersey to a win tonight. I hope I am wrong though.

[The Electrifyer 0]

KG has been on the All-Defensive 1st team the last FIVE SEASONS.

 

But yeah, he's not as good as Malone.

Has been leading his team in rebounds, blocks AND steals for years.

 

But he is no Karl Malone.

Those 21 rebound, 5 blocks and 4 steals he got last night still don't compare to Malone's big guns.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Good Lord. Kudos to Sacto for continuing to look like the biggest bunch of chokers on planet earth. It hurts to like that team.

 

Lakers in 6 sadly.

But really is it worse to be a fan of them or the Jazz?

 

Or the Vikings or Eagles in football?

 

Kings need a TRUE TRUE leader to get them into the Finals. But they weren't playing all that well down the stretch of the season, and just about in any sport it's the momentum going into the playoffs that will show how well you'll play in the playoffs (2002 Jets being an exception).

[Ripper 0]

Good Lord. Kudos to Sacto for continuing to look like the biggest bunch of chokers on planet earth. It hurts to like that team.

 

Lakers in 6 sadly.

But really is it worse to be a fan of them or the Jazz?

 

Or the Vikings or Eagles in football?

 

Kings need a TRUE TRUE leader to get them into the Finals. But they weren't playing all that well down the stretch of the season, and just about in any sport it's the momentum going into the playoffs that will show how well you'll play in the playoffs (2002 Jets being an exception).

The Kings lost to the team with the best record in the league.

 

Its not like they lost to some bums. Jesus.

 

I get so SICK of hearing people call the Kings chokers. In the last 10 years only 4 teams have won championships. This is the equivelant of saying every other team in the league are chokers.

 

The kings came in with their best player on one leg, and lost their 6th man who is arguably the most important player on the team. And took it to 7 games against the number one team in the league. And lost by three...and they are CHOKERS?

 

What ever.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Troy Hudson was on FUCKING FIRE last year. He gave the Lakers terrible fits, because of his quickness on the pick n roll and lethal shooting from the outside. If you thought Parker posed a problem for the Lakers, Hudson was much, much worse. Thankfully, Cassell is nowhere near as quick as Hudson, so I think Payton, who is very acquainted with Sam's game, will be able to contain him. Kobe will expose Sprewell in this series -- watch out for it. And like Kenny Smith said on Inside the NBA, Shaq doesn't have to guard anybody; not to mention, the Wolves don't have the big bodies necessary to buffer him. Shaq is gonna have a big series and pose problems for Garnett, as well.

Troy Hudson is on the IR.

 

The series itself. Neither the Lakers or the Wolves have anyone who can stop Shaq, or KG. The Wolves will likely play hack-a-Shaq. The Lakers may allow KG to score his points, and make the others beat them. l

[alfdogg 0]

The Kings lost to the team with the best record in the league.

*AHEM*

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

The Kings lost to the team with the best record in the league that has a chance of winning the championship.

*AHEM*

 

The Pacers aint shit.