The OAO NBA Playoffs/Finals Thread

[alfdogg 0]

...says the Knicks fan.

[Ripper 0]

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

*AHEM*

OKAY...but the Pacers got to Play the Hawks and Celtics 8 times. That has to count for something.

 

 

Oh, and when you look at the numbers, Latrell actually plays well against the Lakers, so I think that "Kobe will shut him down" stuff is a bit much. Especially since Kobe isn't that good of a on the ball defender anyway.

[alfdogg 0]

Well, the Wolves played the Clippers and the S...bah, I can't do it.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

...says the Knicks fan.

Your momma.

[Damaramu 0]

The saddest thing about this is that the Lakers fans are making remember why I hate them.

They will not give the T-Wolves ANY credit.

"Oh well you know......the Lakers are going to run all over them....Malone is better than all of them and Kobe is god......so yeah......Lakers in 4!"

Give someone else some credit agains The Lakers for once in your lives.

[Ripper 0]

If I see one more person call the Wolves a speed bump....

 

 

Before I didn't care but I really want the Lakers to lose now.

[C Dubya 04 0]

I can hardly wait for the Lakers to go over the next two speed bumps on the way to 4 out of 5.

 

Whoops, sorry about that.

[Guest Crazy Dan]

Well that is why they play the games, fortunately. And let me just say, Malone is going to show his age against KG, who is a whole lot quicker than Duncan. But of course many Laker fans act like they have the Malone of '97-'98 years, and not the one that is past his prime that is playing for them today. Malone has had one good game this playoffs, which was against Houston (where he had 30 points, and did help the Lakers win that game). The rest of the playoffs he has been good, but he is not the dominant player he once was and is not as fast as he once was.

 

KG is going to pose problems for the Lakers. And if you think that Shaq would be the smart choice to put on KG, remember KG has no problem of playing on the perimeter. And if Shaq has to go out there to guard him this will leave the paint open for Cassel and Latrell to drive into the middle. And as Parker showed in the two wins the Spurs did have, when one can get into the paint, that hurts the Lakers. So I don't see Phil being that dumb to have Shaq guard KG and expose the middle like that. Plus, KG is quicker than Shaq and I don't see KG getting into a post up match up with the Shaq. Also, KG is a seven footer who can shoot jump shots. That has been shown to be a very hard shot to block. And KG also is quick enough to out hustle and grab boards. So KG is going to keep the T-Wolves in this series.

 

I do think the Lakers are going win the series, but this will not be a cake walk, as some Laker fans are predicting will happen. Of course I could be wrong, but KG is having one of those years where he is taking his game to the next level and where he can match the Lakers shot for shot. Kobe is the Laker's answer to this, but as for the rest of the Lakers, I am not seeing it as much. Well Shaq is still Shaq. And he will score more points, but I do see Olowakandi and Johnson going out there and hacking away, but yeah it would be pretty dumb for me to think that Shaq is not going to score 20+ points a game (just a rough estimate, it could be higher) and grab 10+ rebounds. The only concern I would have if I was a Laker's fan is that can Shaq make his free throws, because if he all of the sudden they start not going in, he becomes a liability down the stretch. And that could be why the T-Wolves have a chance in this series.

 

Also, the T-Wolves have more scoring threats than the Spurs do. So double teaming might not be the best option here, because Latrell, Cassell, and KG can score. And also with Wally and Hoiberg, the T-Wolves have players that might get ignored if double teaming occurs. And they have shown if they are left open, they will hurt you. And the T-Wolves beat the Lakers 3 times this year, so they do know how to beat the Lakers. But this is the playoffs, so you can throw out the regular season, but the one thing that the Lakers will not be able to do is put the fear of God into the T-Wolves. And so don't expect the T-Wolves to lay down and play dead. They showed that they can weather blowing leads, and they showed that they can make comebacks. They have heart, and that you can not discount. And for what it is worth, I believe the T-Wolves offense is more potent than the Spurs. And who can not forget the power of the Mad Dog (sorry I couldn't resist giving my boy his props).

 

These are the Lakers though. And all signs point to them winning this series. But I just had to point out that the T-Wolves are by no means a pushover. They had best record in the West. They have the MVP who is hitting his stride at the right moment. And they have players who have playoff experience, which they lacked in years before. So I do think that this will be a tough series, which means the fans of the NBA are the true winners. I mean who really wants to see a 4-0 blow out sweep anyways? I certainly don't. I am sure Laker fan does, but for the sake of my sanity, I hope the T-Wolves can at least take it to 6, or maybe 7 games.

[Gert T 0]

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?

Absolutely.

 

Seriously though, it is ridiculous, the Kings lost on the road in a Game 7 to the #1 seed. I agree with your previous comments, plus Brad Miller will have a better year after having another year under his belt.

 

This team only loses Vlade (maybe) so they have a good shot again.

 

And I love Karl Malone, but even if he pushes that "pencil neck geek" around, I still got my money on the geeks wingspan.

[Steviekick 0]

And I love Karl Malone, but even if he pushes that "pencil neck geek" around, I still got my money on the geeks wingspan.

As someone who will consider Karl Malone a deity, I do see him having trouble defending against Garnett. KG's too freaking quick and lanky.

[Paul Stanley 0]

I've hated the Lakers (and most of their fans) for years, just as much as i dislike Yankee fans.

 

The teams trying to BUY a championship. I've been a Malone fan for years, but like somebody previously said..it's not 1998.

[Guest OctoberBlood]

Oh, I love this game.

[Paul Stanley 0]

The Nets are done, Wallace is just going apeshit on the court.

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

The Nets are gone, no more favorites to root for.

 

I guess i'll just be going for the underdog.

 

BTW, off-topic... The Wizards should be kicking themselves in the ass for making that Hamilton for Stackhouse trade back then.

[CanadianChris 0]

The saddest thing about this is that the Lakers fans are making remember why I hate them.

They will not give the T-Wolves ANY credit.

"Oh well you know......the Lakers are going to run all over them....Malone is better than all of them and Kobe is god......so yeah......Lakers in 4!"

Give someone else some credit agains The Lakers for once in your lives.

I'm not saying that. Any team with the MVP on it has to be taken seriously. Well, except for the 95 Spurs...you just knew Hakeem was going to punk them out.

 

They don't have an answer for Shaq, though, and KG and Kobe are going to cancel each other out, so I can't see this series going more than 6.

[Steviekick 0]

I've hated the Lakers (and most of their fans) for years, just as much as i dislike Yankee fans.

 

The teams trying to BUY a championship. I've been a Malone fan for years, but like somebody previously said..it's not 1998.

I know, but KM '98 is much different than KM '04. In '98 he had to do everything...defend, carry the offensive load, be THE rebounder, the baggage of being a recent MVP, and such. Lots of pressure. In '03, all he has to do is defend, help out Shaq on the boards, and pass the ball. Sometimes score if he has to. Karl may be older, but he doesn't have as many things to do. He'll be fine...

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

At this point I think the best Finals matchup would be Lakers vs Pistons, but I don't want to see the Lakers in the finals..

[Steviekick 0]

Lakers/Piston will be awesome.

[Damaramu 0]

Lakers/Piston will be awesome.

Wolves/Pacers will be better.

[Guest Urine Sane]

Lakers/Piston will be awesome.

Wolves/Pacers will be better.

damn straight.

[Guest TheArchiteck]

Pistons/ Wolakers, I don't care...just as long as the Pistons are in it!

[NoCalMike 0]

The Lakers will go over, pretty easily. It may even turn out to be a six game series, due to the fact that the Lakers tend to take games off when they think they are in control, but I don't see anyway that a focused Laker team is going to lose this series. And this is coming from a Laker-hating Kings fans, that desperately wishes the T-wolves can pull off this upset.

 

As far as KG goes, he will have his way with Malone, but so what really, Shaq is a usually a great player, but against the T-wolves, he should make it ugly, REAL UGLY in the middle for the Wolves.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Is anyone else really annoyed that they had to wait from Sunday night till Thursday night to get game 7? Could they drag out the playoffs anymore?

[NoCalMike 0]

Is anyone else really annoyed that they had to wait from Sunday night till Thursday night to get game 7? Could they drag out the playoffs anymore?

I find it more suspect that there was all this space between playoff games, but suddenly since the Lakers advanced first, the NBA is making the Wolves hurry up and get no rest for their upcoming series. I mean come on, Game 1 should have been Sunday.

[Dangerous A 0]

Now that all the game 7's are out of the way, you can now get a whiff of DA's awesome NBA analysis.

 

Kings vs Wolves. A good, dramatic game. However not a well played game. Especially by the Kings. 8 for 17 from the line and 31% first half field goal percentage is not going to get the job done. Couple that with the disappearing act of Peja Stojakobitch...I mean, Stojakovic and you have the recipe for the Kings losing. While Bibby didn't have a good game 7, he is still the man on this team and one of the few with killer instinct. This team needs to be his. I remember earlier in the year Webber saying this was Vlade's team. The media thinks it's Webber's. I think starting next year, it needs to be Bibby's.

 

Now speaking of killer instinct, the only other player on the Kings that has it was on the bench the entire series. That was Bobby Jackson. I am not going to make an excuse that Bobby Jackson lost the series for them or that if he would've played, things would be different because we'll never know that. The Wolves were without Troy Hudson the entire series as well, so that squares that up. However, I am disappointed that Bobby Jackson didn't give it a go or at least try to play in game 7. He has been working out and practicing and then said he wouldn't play because he couldn't play up to his standards. At this stage of the season, the Kings don't need that kind of attitude. You've got Webber playing on one fucking leg, Cassell's crippled ass with the back spasms and Wally has 3 fucking bones broken in his back. All of them played. All of them gave it their all. All except Bobby Jackson and that both puzzles and disturbs me. This is a man who suffered a concussion and broken orbital bone last year in game 2 against the Mavs and finished the series without missing a game. I don't know why he didn't give it a go this year. Again, while I don't blame him for the loss of the series, it makes me contemplate what could've been.

 

That said, the Wolves took advantage of the oppurtunities given them and now stare down the barrel of the Lakers shotgun. If the Wolves win two games in this series, it'll be a moral victory. The Lakers are just starting to turn the corner both offensively and defensively and the Wolves simply have no answer for Shaq and Kobe. While I do admire Sprewell's defensive prowess on a smaller Bibby, in a series, against the best 2 guard in the league this side of Orlando, Kobe is going to eat him alive. However, if the non focused, bizarro Lakers show up, I can see them getting pushed to 6 or 7 games, but they will not lose.

[Dangerous A 0]

The Pistons/Pacers series is going to be a war, and I don't think it'll be pretty. If any of these 2 teams score more than 85 in a game, I'll be shocked. I seriously cannot pick a real winner out of this. At the beginning of this thread I picked the Pistons/Lakers finals and that can still happen. However the Pistons must go on the road with only 1 day of prep after a grueling series with the Nets and try to beat the Pacers on their floor, where they have looked virtually unstoppable this year. The homecourt could end up meaning the most in this series with the exception of the Wolves/Kings series. I picked the Pistons at the beginning, but now I think the Pacers are probrably going to advance. Just a gut feeling I got right now, it could change.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Is anyone else really annoyed that they had to wait from Sunday night till Thursday night to get game 7?  Could they drag out the playoffs anymore?

I find it more suspect that there was all this space between playoff games, but suddenly since the Lakers advanced first, the NBA is making the Wolves hurry up and get no rest for their upcoming series. I mean come on, Game 1 should have been Sunday.

Yeah, I just noticed that too. Hopefully the refs won't be blatantly trying to give games to the Lakers like last year.

 

Though it would be fun seeing the Pistons beat up on the Lakers in the finals.

[NoCalMike 0]

Is anyone else really annoyed that they had to wait from Sunday night till Thursday night to get game 7?  Could they drag out the playoffs anymore?

I find it more suspect that there was all this space between playoff games, but suddenly since the Lakers advanced first, the NBA is making the Wolves hurry up and get no rest for their upcoming series. I mean come on, Game 1 should have been Sunday.

Yeah, I just noticed that too. Hopefully the refs won't be blatantly trying to give games to the Lakers like last year.

 

Though it would be fun seeing the Pistons beat up on the Lakers in the finals.

well for all you T-wolves fans, one thing is for sure. All the shoving Cassell was not called on against Bibby(Sacramento) you can be sure as hell that if he trys that junk against the Lakers, he will get called EVERYTIME down the court, and with him being a hot head who likes to instruct the officials on how to do their job aka "working the refs" you can expect Cassell to average a technical foul per game. The one advantage he has is that he is a champion already, so champions do get favorable calls, especially in the playoffs, but this is another STORYBOOK Lakers team, so you expect it to be a tad bias.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I can see Detroit/LA in the finals.

 

At least then LA would have beat 4 different teams in the last 5 years for their championships.. Indiana, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Detroit.

 

I like that, A LOT. Well let's see.. Detroit got pushed to 7 games by NJ, which is alright, while Indy got pushed to 6 games by Miami which probably does not bid well for them. I think Indiana is susceptible to comebacks, even in Game 5 against the Heat they were leading by 20 with 5 minutes or so left, and the final score ended up being up only 9 or 11 or so. Still a comfortable win, but it sure says something when you get too comfortable with a lead and not play defense or control the clock to finish them off.

[Ripper 0]

I can see Detroit/LA in the finals.

 

At least then LA would have beat 4 different teams in the last 5 years for their championships.. Indiana, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Detroit.

 

I like that, A LOT. Well let's see.. Detroit got pushed to 7 games by NJ, which is alright, while Indy got pushed to 6 games by Miami which probably does not bid well for them. I think Indiana is susceptible to comebacks, even in Game 5 against the Heat they were leading by 20 with 5 minutes or so left, and the final score ended up being up only 9 or 11 or so. Still a comfortable win, but it sure says something when you get too comfortable with a lead and not play defense or control the clock to finish them off.

But Detoit doesn't have the offensive fire power that Miami has.

 

They seriously had 3-4 guys that could burn you at any time. Odem, Wade, Jones, Butler, Alston were all dangerous.

 

The Pistons have Wallace(if he isn't shooting 3's), Billups(but this kills the rest of the offense) and Hamilton(who is basically going to have a tough series).

 

Hamilton is going to have a tough series for one reason, he is gong to have to run all day on offense AND defense fucking with Reggie Miller. Honestly, I think both of them are going to collapase from exhaustion by game 3. I mean really, neither one of them EVER stops moving on offense and usually rest on d(not saying they play bad D, they just aren't sprinting off screens all day). Now they are going to be chasing each other ALL FREAKING DAY.

 

Billips vs. Pacers guards is going to be big though.