NBA Playoffs
 

1st round predictions:

Lakers over Jazz 4-1
Nuggets over Hornets 4-3
Mavs over Spurs 4-2
Blazers over Rockets 4-3

Cavs over Pistons 4-0
Celtics over Bulls 4-2
Magic over Sixers 4-1
Hawks over Heat 4-3

2nd round:
Lakers over Blazers 4-2
Mavs over Nuggets 4-3

Cavs over Hawks 4-2
Celtics over Magic 4-3

Conference finals:
Lakers over Mavs 4-1
Cavs over Celtics 4-1

Finals:
Cavs over Lakers 4-3

I think that the Lakers got a horrible draw. Even though they will get past Utah, the Jazz gives them tough games often and are very tough at home. They play a physical style that will it a short but physically demanding series. They follow that up the Portland/Houston winner. I think they get past that series too but we all know how tough Portland plays them, especially in Portland and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it go seven. If it's Houston, the Lakers would have an easier time of winning but it would be probably tougher physically. Their best hope then would be having Dallas in the conference finals cause then they could rest. Whoever it is in the conference finals would be easier for them than what they will get in the first two rounds.

Denver swept Dallas this year and the Mavs have struggled in Denver for years. If the Mavs get by the Spurs, and that's an if because Parker is going to go berserk, they will be throttled by Denver.

I am a hometown guy for sure, but I think the Rockets will beat Portland. Nate McMillan is a horrible coach, especially in the playoffs, and he was a mile behind every time the Rockets made an adjustment when they played two weeks ago. Brandon Roy will give the Rockets trouble, but I think the youth and inexperience may be as much a hindrance as it is advantage.

Either way, the lead-up to the Finals is much ado about nothing as Boston cannot stay with Cleveland minus KG and the Lakers are going to roll.

NT

hoss you maybe the expert in horse racing , but , king knows his hoops


looks to me like the cavs will coast to the finals, with KG out , not much resistance for Lebron

What's going to be to their advantage is that they will probably win both early round series in 5-6 games. But while it may only be five games against Utah, their physical style will take more out of them than a seven game series would against the Mavs or Suns. Utah sucks big time on the road but at home they are very tough and though the Lakers are far superior talent wise, the matchup might not be so great for them. Okur will force Bynum to have to come away from the basket and then they have nobody that can stop Williams from getting to the basket. If I were Phil, I'd be most concerned with Utah than with any team in the West. Then you are looking at Portland or Houston. Portland gives them fits up there. I think the last time the Lakers won in Portland, Nixon was president. It's been a nightmare for a couple of years. The Lakers handle them pretty well at home though. The advantage against Portland is that the Blazers will be drawn into an uptempo game against them much like Michigan St was against UNC and they can't beat the Lakers more than twice that way. If they get Houston, while they again are far superior talent wise, the Rockets like to slow the games down to a walk and like the Jazz, they possess a physical challenge that you don't really want to see. I don't see any team in the West having a chance to beat the Lakers at all but I think the worst matchups for them come in the first two rounds and could wear them down just enough to give Cleveland the edge.

The Celts are going to beat the Magic without Garnett? That's rich. They'll be lucky to beat the Bulls.

andy - stick to the horses that is your niche , i assure you "king" has you outclassed in hoops

I'll talk about whatever I want and considering I watch hundreds of pro hoops games every year I'll assume I'm qualified to share my opinion.

Sorry if thinking that the Magic can beat the Garnett-less Celtics is such an unreasonable opinion that you need to chastise me.

yes you are qualified , and you are entitled to your opinion , he has the series going 7 so it won't be a shock if they do beat the celtics

just remember where your circle of competence is

I tell you what, Gales, if you stop posting in the racing threads, I will stop posting in off-topic threads.

hoss you and andy are #1 and 1A in horses , just don't expect that form to translate onto the hardwood against "the king"

do i get to keep my viewing rights if i agree to this?

You can do whatever the hell you want.....but considering the number of ridiculous things you post about racing, you have a lot of nerve questioning anyone posting anything, anywhere, on any message board.

i have a feeling now is not a good time to ask for a summer job at nyra?

maybe just belmont stakes day, i'm good a directing traffic

Hey, I've watched thousands upon thousands of races and yet according to you, I'm not qualified to comment on them.

king - maybe Andy wants to become the "gales" of the sports sections , i'm trying to warn him , but , just like me he doesn't want to listen

Lakers 4-2 over Jazz
Nuggets 4-2 over Hornets
Spurs 4-3 over Mavs
Rockets 4-3 over Blazers

Cavs 4-0 over Pistons
Celtics 4-2 over Bulls
Magic 4-0 over Sixers
Heat 4-3 over Hawks

[u]2nd rd[u]
Lakers 4-3 over Rockets
Spurs 4-3 over Nuggets

Cavs 4-1 over Heat
Magic 4-2 over Celts

Conf finals
Lakers 4-1 over Spurs
Cavs 4-2 over Magic


Finals
Cavs 4-2 over Lakers

Why?

1st round
Lakers over Jazz 4-1
Rockets over Blazers 4-3
Nuggets over Hornets 4-2
Spurs over Mavs 4-2

Cavs over Pistons 4-0
Heat over Hawks 4-3
Celtics over Bulls 4-2
Magic over Sixers 4-0

2nd round:
Lakers over Rockets 4-1
Spurs over Nuggets 4-3

Cavs over Heat 4-1
Magic over Celts 4-3

Conference finals:
Lakers over Spurs 4-0
Cavs over Magic 4-2

Finals:
Lakers over Cavs 4-3

WHAT?

way too close to agreeing with Cannon ball...
I need to change something.

I simply don't see any team capable of upsetting either the Cavs or the Lakers...I will be VERY surprised if they don't reach the finals. I think this will be Kobe's year, Lakers 4-2 in finals but I admit that's more hunch than anything! Magic are still a year away imo and Celtics simply can't matchup without KG, nobody in the west can seriously challenge the Lakers.

Lakers over Jazz 4-1: Too much size
Hornets over Nuggets 4-2: Cp3 and Dwest keep nuggets stuck in first round
Spurs over Mavs 4-2: Mavs are done as a top team. kidd trade horrible
Blazers over Rockets 4-3: Blazers have phalanx of bigs for Yao

Cavs over Pistons 4-1: Old Pistons have enough to take at least 1 game
Celtics over Bulls 4-1: No KG, but still too much for bulls
Heat over Hawks 4-2: Dwade and crew played very well over late months
Magic over Sixers 4-1: Sixers turned it around this year. Howard too much

Round 2

Lakers over Blazers 4-3: Lakers havent won in Rose garden in a while
No over spurs 4-2: Young legs thwart another spurs run

Cavs over Heat 4-2: Cavs arent a great road team and Heat will take a couple.

Celtics over Magic 4-3: Tough call. Homecourt game 7 and perimeter defense the difference.

Cavs over Celtics 4-2: Lebron Cavs

Lakers over NO 4-1: Kobe lakers


Final: Lakers over Cavs 4-2

The Cavaliers still have that word in front of their nickname..."Cleveland". That alone pretty much disqualifies them from winning it. I've seen it time and time again...nothing else matters much other than that. Garnett getting hurt was the worst thing for them believe it or not. They have always matched up horribly against Orlando for whatever reason...and I think Garnett's injury may push the Magic over the Celtics. I hope not.

Lakers 4 to 2 over Magic. None of the other series' really matter.

How about Derrick Rose today in Game 1? Dude was straight unbelievable. I can't believe how well Tyrus and Jokekim Noah played today also. Hopefully Noah will play himself into getting traded and we can keep Ben Gordon with Rose

Here's hoping the Sixers revert to mid-season form with a shot in the a$$, a.k.a. the return of Thad Young. We were able to overcome the loss of Brand, but the void that da bul Thad gave us was too deep to climb. Dileo needs to employ the Hack-a-Howard technique and use his bench again as timely as he was after the Brand debacle. Spread the fouls around between Ratliff, Evans, and Speights.(phuck Dalembert, that raw p.o.s) I got a feeling that we are going to catch the shaft at the end of one of these games with a foul to give. (much like in the finale against Cleveland when Gibson tied it up with a three ball when Thad slipped and fell with a foul to give.)

So far today theres been a walkoff win for the Phils, the Flyers are playing to it's capabilities (today), and the Sixers WILL open eyes.

Game on...
Thisis a agood one.

Take back your thoughts about
the Iguana. ohhh good call.

Great game but how does Del Negro not have a to left at the end of the game again? Boston hung tough but they wont be around too long with the team they have remaining.

Neither will the Spurs.
Duncan can barely move.
He used to play D.

Just amazed that Del Negro made the same mistake twice. I the NBA that TO means so much because you get to advance the ball. The odds are still against you but without a TO it is 5000-1 that you will hit a halfcourt runner.

Definitely gives you more options.
Not only does it save valuable time,
also have a wider court to throw into
compared to the baseline.

King James Filets Kobe in Finals!
 

NBA should skip playoff bullshit. Does anyone care?

Finals: Cavs win in six games!

Newsflash: Kobe announces his retirement after losing another title shot. He knows he will never win another NBA championship. Great individual player, lousy team player is final conclusion.

yes...

I love basketball.
Basketball gives us the chance to see
pure athletic talent displayed more than
any other team sport.

Yes I like NCAA basketball also.

The NBA regular season is way too long
and too many teams make the playoffs imo.
The above I would change thank you very
much.
-commisioner pgardn

No one in New Orleans will care if the Hornets play that bad again.

Garnett looked like a tard on the bench after that game winner by Allen. I mean really dude you aren't a gangster. Just f.ucking stop with the bulls.hit thug expression. You look ridiculous.

They can't all be hardcore OGs like Kobe. :D

Kobe wouldn't act like that if a teammate hit a game winner. He's too narcissistic to show that much emotion for another human.

I did not see Allen Iverson anywhere near
the Detroit bench. Does he not care about his
teammates?

Teammates?
We talkin teammates?
Wtf are teammates?
Teammates?

continue ad nauseum.

Detroit traded for Allen Iverson's expiring contract...not AI.

So they just could have given Billups away for another
expiring contract, did not have to be AI's.
AI could have been playing for a big fat extentsion, no?
Manu Ginobilli has also got an expiring contract.
But he is with the team. Guess he is interested
in playing for his team next year.
With his teammates.


BTW...

Lebron going to the Knicks, hear much lately.
I hear grass growing.