TSM 2006 NBA Playoffs thread

[bob_barron 0]

Yea, Smues should never post again.

[Guest NYankees]

I trust that the Lakers will win on Saturday.

 

Smush Parker will not see more than 12 minutes of playing time, and Sasha will be starting.

 

If they don't.....well, I guess I'll just have to wait for the players to develop. Baby steps, I guess.

 

 

This is a prediction that I can respect due to the author stating reasons why they think the Lakers are going to win other than just stating Lakers are going to win on Saturday!

[Guest]

I'm also taking the high road on the officiating, as there was one specific call (or lack thereof) that had me in a rage. I will not complain about it or say what it was, due to what I said about if the officiating costs you the game, you do not deserve it. I just wanted to mention that because I KNOW something will happen in Game 7 that will leave everyone in a tizzy. It never fails, especially when there are fickle people that will complain if a player breaks a fucking nail on the ball.

 

The Lakers will pound the ball inside, they will have a better shooter than Smush on the court, and Kobe will defer until the 4th quarter. Hell, that's what Kobe wanted to do tonight. They've gotta stay out of foul trouble, it's fucking killing them. Kwame has been very good in the first half, why isn't Jackson telling Odom and Kobe to get him the ball? I understand that his hands are soft, but that's not an excuse.

[naiwf 0]

I'm also taking the high road on the officiating, as there was one specific call (or lack thereof) that had me really angry. I will not complain about it, due to what I said about if the officiating costs you the game, you do not deserve it. I just wanted to mention that because I KNOW something will happen in Game 7 that will leave everyone in a tizzy. It never fails, especially when there are fickle people that will complain if a player breaks a fucking nail on the ball.

 

The Lakers will pound the ball inside, they will have a better shooter than Smush on the court, and Kobe will defer until the 4th quarter. Hell, that's what Kobe wanted to do tonight. They've gotta stay out of foul trouble, it's fucking killing them.

 

The easiest way to do that is to post up Marion and Diaw, the only slashers who actually go all the way to the rim. Marion should have been out of that game down the stretch, then they could have went to work on Diaw and Thomas. Let Nash get 40 if he has to, but don't let these other guys chill out for 15 seconds while Nash yo-yos the ball from side to side, gets trapped and then makes a jump pass out to wide open spot up shooters for 3 or foul line extended jumpers.

[Dangerous A 0]

I'm going to say whichever team gets the best rest by saturday wins and there really isn't a way for us to gauge that.

 

I'm not a welcher and still think the Lakers will win because Kobe Bryant will be too much to handle on Saturday in a game 7, but the Suns get mega props for pushing this thing to 7 because I think a lot of other teams in the league would've laid down and died. Don't get it twisted, I still don't like the Lakers and would like to be proven wrong here, but my logic tells me despit the valiant effort, it's still difficult coming back from a 3-1.

 

I think if Kobe doesn't take the Raja stuff too personal, the Lakers will get back to their gameplan. If he makes it too much about him and Raja, the Lakers are going to lose.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

Being a Clipper supporter and Laker hater, I hope the Lakers lose not because I hate them but because I want to see the reaction and backtracking of Bill Simmons, Scoop jackson and every other person who was talking about the Battle of L.A. before either series were even over.

 

Fuckin annoyed the shit out of me

[Guest Kobe24KGold]

I'm a hardcore Lakers fan, and I was experiencing pretty bad chest tightening and pains in and around my heart watching the waning minutes of Game 6. I almost went to the emergency room; I'll be seeing a cardiologist on Monday morning. And, I'm only 21, which is the scary thing.

 

There's no fucking way I'm subjecting myself to what is sure to be a blowout victory for the Suns on Saturday. I'm no fucking masochist, thank you very much.

 

Smush Parker is a waste of space and has no heart. That fucking bitch deserves a lifetime sentence of NBDL servitude and indenture. Fucking coward.

[chaosrage 0]

You could smell the fear of Kobe having to play against Raja Bell on Saturday in that last minute.

[The Robfather 0]

I didn't watch the game. Just went to sleep. I'm happy the Suns didn't roll over and die.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Alf- Skiles was complaining about a call and Walker told him to stop whining, causing Skiles to go "You whine all the time", then Walker said something and Skiles told him to shut the fuck up, causing Walker to go off on him with profanities.

[Guest Princess Leena]

The Suns will win Game 7.

 

Reason: So I can troll everyone who doesn't hate Kobe as much as I do.

[Damaramu 0]

Igg do you have a gambling problem?

 

That game almost caused the end of my relationship. Me and my gf were out at a club and they didnt have any TVs on the dance floor but they had them in the lounge so I had to keep running out and checking the score and eventually I just kept disappearing more and more. She was pissed.

[Guest Felonies!]

My point is that Smues has zero credibility when it comes to Predictions. So go cry over your braves Bob. I hate when people make stupid predictions like the Lakers are going to win on Saturday without offering reasons why they are making that Prediction. Plus it wasn't even a prediction by Smues it was a statement. The lakers are going to win on Saturday! Last time I checked they play the game on the court and not in smues head.

What the fuck? As if he's the first and last guy to make a bold prediction that reads like a promise. I just read it and moved on. I think the Suns will win, but I'm not up in arms that he omitted "I think that" from his sentence. You're terrible. Are you TheDon?

[Star Ocean 3 0]

Predictions are just based on who you want to win the majority of the time, anyway, not actual arguments.

[bob_barron 0]

I bet Felonies predicted the Cubs would win Games 5-7 in 2003.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

The usual great article on the NBA by Bill Simmons

 

NBA first round review

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story...=simmons/060505

[naiwf 0]

The usual great article on the NBA by Bill Simmons

 

NBA first round review

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story...=simmons/060505

 

(Stock Rising Arrow) Kenyon Martin. Not for the player himself, but for the fact that Isiah's going to trade for a guy with a bad knee, an attitude problem and $70 million left on his contract in about six weeks. I can't wait. Isiah's first bad move of the summer is turning out to be the summer version of Christmas -- it's an annual tradition, I look forward to it every year, there's the possibility of one gift or multiple gifts, and I'm always pleasantly surprised.

 

The Smush Parker taunts were spot on, but this stands out as the thing that's funniest simply because it's going to be made true shortly. How Isiah still has a job in NEW YORK of all place is beyond me.

[Guest Princess Leena]

I find it amusing that New York City, the business capital of the US, is noted for massive overspending of their sports teams with extremely poor results.

[Guest NYankees]

I find it amusing that New York City, the business capital of the US, is noted for massive overspending of their sports teams with extremely poor results.

 

 

Hey dont add the Yankees to that list. To get into the playoffs every year and draw 3 million plus fans and 4 million last year and are on pace to draw 4 million again this year. The Knicks and the Rangers are owned by Cablevision who seem to care more about making a profit than seeing the teams win.

[Brett Favre 0]

I'm glad I stayed up for yesterday. The Suns got back to their style of play, and Barbosa stepped it up. The Bell tombstone piledriving Kobe comment made me laugh out loud.

[Guest Vitamin X]

There's three great things we got out of this game.

 

1. The game was fantastic.

2. There's going to be a game 7.

3. Iggymcfly is out $450

#4 for me was that my ex attended the game. She made a point to brag about going to the game the day before, and I was worried because the two games she'd seen earlier this season, one against the Wizards and another against the Grizzlies, the Lakers lost in the last minute. But, I kinda hoped they'd lose just so she wouldn't get to see the series clincher live. Yet, her bad luck proved true once again for the Lakers. Spoiled bitch.

 

I guess it's funny getting so into these first round games when I probably won't bother watching a second of the Finals when Detroit plays San Antonio again.

I agree. It's almost as if the NBA playoffs would be better if they'd use a BCS format this year. While I have my doubts about the Spurs advancing, everyone's just fighting for the right currently to get eliminated by Detroit in the Finals. The strongest contender I saw to the Pistons in the East were either the Nets or Heat, and I don't think either of them have the ability to beat Detroit based on their series with the Pacers and Bulls, both of whom played way over their heads to even be able to take it to a Game 6. Out in the West, I think maybe the Clippers or Spurs have the best chance, although I feel that the Clips would lose to any team they can play outside of the Lakers or Kings, I really doubt they'll come out of the West.

 

I think the Kings-Spurs game tonight is going to be really fantastic. These playoffs in general have been really fun to watch mostly because outside of Milwaukee, the lower seeded teams have played the top seeded teams really well despite what the final outcomes may be. These aren't boring routine sweeps like in the past.

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

I'm a hardcore Lakers fan...

 

There's no fucking way I'm subjecting myself to what is sure to be a blowout victory for the Suns on Saturday. I'm no fucking masochist, thank you very much.

No, no you're not. You're no fucking masochist, you're no hardcore Lakers fan either. What you are is a fucking pussy. Fans of a team either believe their team can win or go down with the ship, they don't abandon it because of heart trouble. What a baby.

 

 

On to more important things, I still think the Lakers can win Game 7. I think they pissed away the past two elimination games by getting away from what gave them an advantage over the Suns. LA needs to go much deeper into the shot clock on offense and play much better team defense. I can't believe Tim Thomas got open for that three. Mark me down on the Smush disappointment bandwagon, he was flat-footed at the end of that sequence, just a few feet from Thomas. However, with the exception of Smush, I don't think these were the regular season Lakers. Kwame and Lamar, despite their errors, actually played pretty well. But LA did get out of the successful formula for winning against Phoenix.

 

If they don't get back to it, they will lose. My prediction is that the actual threat of elimination WILL motivate the Lakers to play the kind of basketball that will win the series.

[Ripper 0]

I think all predictions are out the window now.

 

Nash played moster minutes last night and thats going to hurt him.

 

Raja Bell....Raja Bell. On one hand he gave the SUns some toughness...on the other, he almost lost them the game, not because he wasn't playing, but because they called the game SO tight that almost everyone fouled out. I hope he has a hell of a game saturday though. I can't remember the last time I can remember a player just blatantly saying he didn't like another player in the media. Either Kobe is going to get alot of fouls or Raja is going to get alot. Either way, the refs aren't going to let them get physcial with each other....in other words Raja will be in foul trouble.

 

I haven't wavered in my thoughts that the suns were going to win this series even when they were down 3-1 and I still stand by it. And people....I am telling you. They figured out the Lakers in the second half of game 4. Phil is the no adjustment guy now.

 

ANd to the people saying Kobe kept them in it...Yeah...kinda, but as I said, MAKING long jumpshots against the suns plays into their offense just as much as missing them. Kobe scored 50, but he should have scored 60 by just working it deeper against the smaller barbosa, or blowing past marion. That also would have forced a deeper trap and opened up the shooters more. Kobe on the perimeter allowed the suns to rotate, which got them a few Charges because of it. Raja not being there did exactly what I figured it would do.

 

No matter who wins it all though, this has been a hell of a series and I think the NBA has a new rivalry of their hands. Oh and Barbosa getting his lip busted by a Kobe elbow....Raja was right.

[Guest]

ANd to the people saying Kobe kept them in it...Yeah...kinda, but as I said, MAKING long jumpshots against the suns plays into their offense just as much as missing them. Kobe scored 50, but he should have scored 60 by just working it deeper against the smaller barbosa, or blowing past marion. That also would have forced a deeper trap and opened up the shooters more. Kobe on the perimeter allowed the suns to rotate, which got them a few Charges because of it. Raja not being there did exactly what I figured it would do.

The problem that the Lakers had, is that when someone drove down the lane and got layups early in the shot clock, the Suns defense was so bad that they weren't even fouling people. Plus, the Lakers were playing 4 on 5, so they had a spot in the triangle that's supposed to be a shooter's spot vacated.

 

I promise, either Smush Parker will not be in the starting lineup or Phil Jackson will put him in to see if his confidence is back. He'll be on a short leash. They must have someone contributing from the off guard spot if they are going to win.

 

On the Raja note, he will not be allowed to do anything that's close to a flagrant foul. He'll probably be ejected if he does. The Lakers have to stop doubling Nash, and probably stick Kobe on him.

 

Also, I'm going downtown tomorrow to watch the game, which will undoubtedly be fun. Don't know where I'm going.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Whereabouts in downtown? Seems to me like Santa Monica or Hollywood would be more fun.

[Guest]

I don't know yet, my dad knows the places to go and I don't.

 

Yes, Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach are great places to go, or so I've heard.

[Rendclaw 0]

I agree that there should be reseeding when the playoffs start. Dallas and SA should NOT be playing in the second round when they are 1-2 in their conference, not to mention overall record.

[Guest]

If they don't want to do that, they can take a page from the NHL and reseed in the second round, with the highest seed playing the lowest, going down from there.

[Guest Princess Leena]

All league should seed the top 8 teams by record. Division winners still get in the playoffs, but if they have the worst record in their conference, like Denver did, they're the 8th seed.

 

I don't see why it's so difficult to do it that way.

[Guest Felonies!]

Leena has it right, the rest of you don't. Re-seeding sucks. Why would anyone take a page from the NHL? If anything, the NHL has done nothing but take pages from the NBA, much to the chagrin on anyone that likes hockey.