NBA Thread - 2009-10

[People's Champ]

I wouldn't count out Boston just yet. They played great yesterday getting production from Pierce and Allen. And no one seems to give credit to Boston's defense, which was tight all night. Now do I think the layoff had an affect on this game? I would say so. But does that mean Game 1 should be dismisssed because of that? No. This Boston team is finally healthy and you can see that in their play. While I think Orlando will eventually win this series, I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see Boston win it.

 

[People's Champ]

Well the Lakers played as expected. A lot of people expect this to be a 7 game series. I don't see it. Kobe, bad knee and all, put up 40. Odom dropped 19 and 19 and Gasol with 21. The Lakers were able to beat the Suns at their own game at times, running up and down, playing that uptempo game. Now do I expect Odom to drop 19 and 19 each game? No. Do I expect every game to end with Kobe able to rest in the 4th? Not at all. But the Lakers are just more talented, bigger, and most importantly have Kobe Bryant. The Suns will play much better, however they just don't match up well with the Lakers. And no excuse as far as rust. Both had a week off. The Lakers are the better team. Great game tonight.

 

[jmt225]

Well, while I won't completely count out Orlando, after watching tonight's game, I do think Boston is simply the better team. I don't care about "lay offs" or any of that... the Boston Celtics have it going on right now, and Rajan Rondo specifically cannot be stopped.

The fact of the matter is, Rashad Lewis is nowhere to be found this year, Vince Carter has been EXTREMELY inconsistent, Jameer Nelson isn't aggressive enough, and Dwight Howard continues to give countless, STUPID fouls. Then you look at a team like Boston... their point guard is becoming a top 3 PG in the league, Kevin Garnett is the best he's been in two years, Ray Allen's shooting well, Paul Piece has finally become aggressive again, and they're getting good help from off the bench.

I don't see any of this changing any time soon. Even if Orlando swept Charlotte and Atlanta, they still looked really bad at times in those series. Boston though has looked great now for 5 straight games, and I definitely take back my last statement of them eventually slowing down. They cannot be stopped right now. It's possible Orlando pulls off a miracle and makes a comeback in this series (they are truly a great, well-coached team after all), but it's still highly unlikely.

 

[People's Champ]

Could we see a sweep with this series going back to Boston? Maybe, maybe. I doubt it but I do think Boston has a good chance to do it. They are playing great basketball right now. The Big 4 keep coming up, different combinations. Last night it was Pierce and Rondo. We are looking at another Boston-LA series. Time for revenge.

 

[jmt225]

Could we see a sweep with this series going back to Boston? Maybe, maybe. I doubt it but I do think Boston has a good chance to do it. They are playing great basketball right now. The Big 4 keep coming up, different combinations. Last night it was Pierce and Rondo. We are looking at another Boston-LA series. Time for revenge.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now. The fact is, Boston has been a better road team this year than they have been a home team. As odd as that sounds... it's true.

There's very little chance Boston actually sweeps Orlando. The Magic will win at least one game, at least. There has to be one game where someone for Orlando completely goes off and leads them to victory. In fact, right now, I'm predicting the Celtics in win the series in 6. 5 wouldn't shock me, but a sweep definitely would.

Also, man... I hope the Suns can steal one on the road tonight. While I don't think it's a must win for them, it would be a nice one; that's for sure. Hopefully there's some better officiating than Game 1, because fuck those refs were damn AWFUL. If it continues like that, then the league will be once again accused of getting the "big" team to the finals, so they better get their shit together.

 

[People's Champ]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now. The fact is, Boston has been a better road team this year than they have been a home team. As odd as that sounds... it's true.

There's very little chance Boston actually sweeps Orlando. The Magic will win at least one game, at least. There has to be one game where someone for Orlando completely goes off and leads them to victory. In fact, right now, I'm predicting the Celtics in win the series in 6. 5 wouldn't shock me, but a sweep definitely would.

Also, man... I hope the Suns can steal one on the road tonight. While I don't think it's a must win for them, it would be a nice one; that's for sure. Hopefully there's some better officiating than Game 1, because fuck those refs were damn AWFUL. If it continues like that, then the league will be once again accused of getting the "big" team to the finals, so they better get their shit together.

I know there's not really a chance at a sweep but hey, having seen the playofffs and the way things have been going, anything is possible. But you are right a sweep is highly unlikely. The Magic blew a chance to advance the ball after that rebound and have a good look at a 3. I find it hard to imagine Orlando not being able to take a game in Boston. They played very well last night, it was just Boston played that much better.

As for the Lakers and Suns, don't count on it tonight for the Suns to pull one out. The Lakers proved that you can turn the switch on and off by that game Monday night. If Odom continues to play like that (although we know its unlikely) then there's no way the Suns have a shot. Kobe has heard all the Lebron talk and now is motivated as you saw in Game 1. The Suns best chance is at home trying to feed off their crowd, and hold serve by winning both at home. Problem is I don't know if they will be able to. I know how much you hate the Lakers JMT, but you might have to get use to them winning all the way up to another title.

 

[People's Champ]

Well another game of offensive dominance by the Lakers. The Suns played a lot better than they did in Game 1 but in the end the Lakers were to much. They dominated the 4th quarter. And it looks like analysis was right for once, and that's that the Suns just can't stop the Lakers Bigs. They just can't. Gasoland Odom are having their way. Gasol had 29, 9, 5. Bryant was double teamed a lot so what does he do? He gets 21 points, but also had 13 assists, the most in a postseason game since Magic in 96. Artest had 18 and 9dom had another great game with 17 and 11. The Lakers scored 252 points in the first two games of this series.

I don't care about the Suns bench or anything like that. With the Lakers playing this way on offense, they are unstoppable, at least against the Suns. They better figure out something quick otherwise they might be involved in another sweep, except not by them, but against them.

 

[Nev]

I don't know what "adjustments" the Suns can make to improve their defense. You can't defend against size. The Lakers are just too big and all this talk about the Suns having a better bench the Lakers looks like smoot. I think L.A wins this series in 5. That's 3 straight finals appearances after getting Pau Gasol.

 

[gd]

The Lakers are simply too big and too skilled for the Suns. They can get an easy look simply by dumping it into Gasol everytime. They don't even need Kobe for this series. I think the Suns will win Game 3 as they're at home and will likely play really well, but that's probably it.

I'm thinking sweep for the Celtics at the moment. Despite the close games, Boston thouroughly outlpayed the Magic in each of the first two games. Being at home is only going to help.

Lakers/Celtics will be extremely interesting. With their size and depth up front and the fact that Rondo is the best PG in the game at the moment, Boston has a legit chance at what would be a pretty huge upset.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Well I think it's safe to say that the Orlando Magic are done. There's no way in hell they can come back, and some how win 4 games in a row. It won't happen. The Magic might win one more game, but they will not win this series.

The Celtics simply dominated the Magic tonight, and Rondo continues to play at an amazing level. The Magic committed 17 turnovers, and their offense was just abysmal. The Magic were able to easily take care of the Hawks and the Bobcats, but they finally ran into a tough team.

 

[jmt225]

So, Phoenix was able to make it a bit of a series last night. Well, I should say Amare Stoudemire was able to make it a bit of a series last night against Los Angles, scoring 42 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. He completely dominated Pau Gasol all throughout the game, and for Phoenix to continue to win games, Amare is going to have to continue to play like he did last night, and there’s no doubt in my mind he can, as long as he’s aggressive and doesn’t settle for long jumpers.

But yeah… great game by Amare last night. Also need to give props to Ryan Lopez, who scored 20 points, only missing two shots in the process. Hopefully both these guys can give a similar performance in Game 4 and tie this series up. Make no mistake about it… the pressure is still on Phoenix.

As far as Boston/Orlando… the Magic have given up. Their body language from them in Game 3 was all you needed to see to know that Orlando doesn’t stand a chance in this series. Dwight Howard with each passing game is showing himself more and more that he is not the type of player you build your team around. He can be a very important role player on the right team, but he should not be the focal point. No way. The guy is just a terrible leader, and he doesn’t take the game seriously. It’s a shame, but it’s true.

 

[People's Champ]

well you knew the Suns were not going to give up at home. They played hard and Amare did have a great game. There was no way the Suns were going to lose that game. Now, as far as Game 4, the Suns have to come and play witht he same intensity. Should they lose, L.A will just close them out in 5. So the Suns need to win tomorrow.

Now while I thought it was a small chance for a sweep in Boston, its looks like its going to happen. But not the way I thought it would. The Magic just put up a pathetic effort Saturday night. Rashard Lewis has completely disappeared this series. Hell everyone has. Stan Van Gundy keeps trying to take the blame, but there's nothing he can do if his team just gives up. Boston is going to sweep. Orlando has checked out and Boston is rolling. Believe Boston will finish this to not allow the Magic any kind of hope.

 

[jmt225]

Last night's game between Phoenix/LA was the most fun I had watching a basketball game all year long.

To see Phoenix's bench DOMINATE the Lakers starters in the first half of the 4th quarter, it was just beautiful. I LOVED every single second of it. And man... not only did Phoenix play well offensively, but they were SPECTACULAR on the defensive side of the ball as well. Kobe was not missing last night, but they refused to let him shoot. They said it was going to be either Ron Artest or Lamar Odom who beats them, and neither guy could step up to the plate. It was awesome.

Now, this is officially a series, and boy oh boy I hope to God Phoenix can somehow manage to steal game 5. I wouldn't bet on it, but there's a part of me that really thinks it's going to happen. Can't wait to see it.

 

[Big Sexy]

Don't look now but we have a couple of series. The Suns took care of home court and will try to steal one in LA. I still see the Lakers winning in 6 or 7 but the Suns are definitely still in this.

The Magic now have all the momentum in their series and I believe the winner of game 6 will win the series. The Celtics age is starting to show a little and the Magic are just more physical then they are right now. Dwight Howard is playing great, Jameer Nelson has been fantastic, and even Rashard Lewis came around in game 5. It's never been done before in the NBA but the Magic *knock on wood* could potentially be the first team to come back from down 3-0 to win a series.

 

[gd]

Good to see they took away one of Perkins' technicals. The refs last night were a joke. Orlando would've won regardless, but so much stupidity and imcompetence on both sides. The NBA really needs to fix this.

Boston is in some trouble now. Big Baby is out and Rasheed is banged up, meaning we may see some Sheldon Williams in the near future, which is never a good sign, unless you're playing against him. With Rashard Lewis actually showing up and Nelson playing really well, the Magic look like a completely different team. I think Boston will take advantage at home tomorrow, but I can't be sure.

Really pumped for the Suns/Lakers game tonight. Definetly pulling for the Suns, but can't see them winning. Bench doesn't play nearly as well on the road, Kobe is playing out of his mind right now, and the zone can't work forever. They'll be competitive, but can't see the Lakers losing tonight.

 

[People's Champ]

Great game last night. To open, let me state for people who think the Lakers might be in trouble after allowing the Suns to gett back in the game, well your wrong. The Lakers defense was great, forcing 15 turnovers. After the Lakers took that big lead, they took they're foot off the gas and allowed Phoenix to get back in the game. But the Lakers played well tonight.

Odom played another great game with 17 and 11. Fisher dropped 22 and Gasol dropped 21. Bryant had himself another fantastic night, with 30, 11, and 9. The Lakers once again used their size to outrebound the Suns. And then of course there was RonRon. 4 points. That's all he scored. But that last basket was the biggest basket of his career. And damn was that shot ugly. But it went in and now LA has the 3-2 advantage. I'm not going to say that LA is going to win Saturday in Phoenix because the Suns have played well at home. However, I do think they have a great chance to close out the series there if they can continue to use their size against the smaller Suns. And if they can defend like they did tonight, then they have a real shot at taking Game 6.

Now tonights game is huge. I think the pressure is squarely on Boston tonight. If they can't take care of business at home and close this out, there is no way in hell they win Game 7 on the road. Some might think it falls on Orlando but I don't think so. Everyone wrote them off after their terrible Game 3 performance, and rightfully so. And although they have made a little comeback, Boston still only needs to win 1 to end it. So I don't think people give the Magic much chance to win this series. Which is why I don't think the pressure is on them, but rather Boston. So tonight figures to be a great game. I would love to see the Magic pull off the first ever 0-3 comeback in NBA history against those hated Celtics. But then again, I woulld love for some revenge after what happened 2 years ago.

 

[Big Sexy]

The NBA Finals are set and for the second time in 3 years it will be the Lakers taking on the Celtics. LA seems primed to win back to back titles because I see no way the Celtics win this series. Yes they won 2 years ago but the Lakers are a better team now and the Celtics are worse.

Kevin Garnett was a none factor against Orlando even though he had the same advantages over Rashard Lewis that he had over Jamison. KG's age is really starting to show. Ray Allen has been good thus far but he will struggle with a great defender like Kobe on him and because of the fact that he will be tired from trying to guard Bryant. Paul Pierce was great against Orlando but he no longer has Vince Carter or Matt Barnes guarding him. Ron Artest is more then capable off taking Pierce off his game and I think we will see more of the Pierce that we saw against Cleveland rather then Orlando.

The only advantage that Boston has is Rajon Rondo at the point vs Derek Fisher and that will not be enough to win them the series. Kobe Bryant is playing out of his mind right now and like the Thunder, Jazz and Suns, the Celtics will not have an answer for him. Gasol is also playing very well as is Lamar Odom and Ron Artest.

I'm going to say Lakers in 6 but I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see a clean sweep here.

 

[gd]

Quite pumped for the finals here. I actually think it'll be very competitive. No way I see it lasting less than 6 games. Let's break it down position by position, shall we?

PG: Fisher has been playing well, but I don't he can keep it up, considering he was showing all the signs of being washed up throughout the reason. Rondo has solidified himself as one of the best PGs in the game throughout the playoffs and has truly became the Celtics bets player. Big advantage for Boston.

SG: Whenever one team has Kobe Bryant at this position, they're going to have the advantage. Kobe has been playing the best basketball of his entrie career as of late. I'd be scared if I was Boston. Allen has the potential to get hot and drop 25 on any given night, but also has his fair share of 5 point performances where you forget he's even out there.

SF: Artest is definetly a tough defender, but he's not as elite as he used to be. Pierce is playing nearly as well as Kobe has been of late and I definetly think he'll be able to score, regardless of the fact that Artest is guarding him. On the other end, Artest is a wildly inconsistent offensive player. Advantage Celtics.

PF: I'm going to use Odom here, as he plays much more than Bynum anyway. Honestly, I think KG has the slight advantage. Despite his offensive struggles, he still defended Lewis pretty well last series, and I think he'll be able to do the same to someone like Odom who doens't come to play every night. If KG can consistently knock down the mid range jumper, the Lakers could be in trouble.

C: Gasol is one of the best centers in the league, easily. Perkins is a tough defender, but I don't think anyone can defend the feathery touch of Gasol. Add in the fact that Perkins is bordering on a liability on offense, and this means big advantage Lakers.

Bench: Big Baby and even Rasheed have been playing well for the Celts. Robinson provided a spark at the end of the series, but Tony Allen's ankle injury has really hurt them as it may limit somone who should be a big part in trying to guard Kobe. Bynum isn't really a bench guy, but has been playing bench minutes with the knee injury. Farmar and Brown have provided a spark at times, and Sasha has proven that he is indeed a moron. This is too close to call here, it's probably a wash.

If I had to pick someone, I'd probably say Celtics in 7 as home court isn't a big deal for either of these teams, who have both been very good on the road. Certainly wouldn't be surprised at all in a Lakers win, but I would be surprised by a short, uncompetitive series.

 

[Big Sexy]

PG: Fisher has been playing well, but I don't he can keep it up, considering he was showing all the signs of being washed up throughout the reason. Rondo has solidified himself as one of the best PGs in the game throughout the playoffs and has truly became the Celtics bets player. Big advantage for Boston.

SG: Whenever one team has Kobe Bryant at this position, they're going to have the advantage. Kobe has been playing the best basketball
of his entrie career as of late. I'd be scared if I was Boston. Allen has the potential to get hot and drop 25 on any given night, but also has his fair share of 5 point performances where you forget he's even out there.

Agreed. On both of those.

SF: Artest is definetly a tough defender, but he's not as elite as he used to be. Pierce is playing nearly as well as Kobe has been of late and I definetly think he'll be able to score, regardless of the fact that Artest is guarding him. On the other end, Artest is a wildly inconsistent offensive player. Advantage Celtics.

Pierce was great last series but he had Vince Carter guarding him for the first half of the series and then Matt Barnes got put on him. Pierce is hot right now but Artest is a much better defender then either Carter or Barnes. Pierce may not struggle as much as he did with LeBron guarding him but in no way do I see him having as good a series as he did against Orlando.

PF: I'm going to use Odom here, as he plays much more than Bynum anyway. Honestly, I think KG has the slight advantage. Despite his offensive struggles, he still defended Lewis pretty well last series, and I think he'll be able to do the same to someone like Odom who doens't come to play every night. If KG can consistently knock down the mid range jumper, the Lakers could be in trouble.

KG slowed down significantly against Orlando. Yes he defended Rashard Lewis well but offensively he couldn't do anything against him other then knock down a few mid range jumpers. Odom right now is playing much better then Lewis was. KG averaged just 10.3 points per game on about 39% shooting against Orlando. That's pitiful considering who was guarding him. This is either a push or maybe even a slight advantage for the Lakers.

C: Gasol is one of the best centers in the league, easily. Perkins is a tough defender, but I don't think anyone can defend the feathery touch of Gasol. Add in the fact that Perkins is bordering on a liability on offense, and this means big advantage Lakers.

Once again agreed.

I just can't see the Celtics winning this series at all. Even if Pierce continues to play like he currently is, which to me is unlikely, the Lakers just have too much fire power. Kobe is playing tremendous right now and the Celtics will not be able to counter that.

 

[gd]

Pierce was great last series but he had Vince Carter guarding him for the first half of the series and then Matt Barnes got put on him. Pierce is hot right now but Artest is a much better defender then either Carter or Barnes. Pierce may not struggle as much as he did with LeBron guarding him but in no way do I see him having as good a series as he did against Orlando.

Definetly won't be as good as he was against Orlando, but I could easily see him averaging 20 a game in the Finals. Even if he doesn't play particularly well, I'm sure he'll outscore Artest most every game in the series.

KG slowed down significantly against Orlando. Yes he defended Rashard Lewis well but offensively he couldn't do anything against him other then knock down a few mid range jumpers. Odom right now is playing much better then Lewis was. KG averaged just 10.3 points per game on about 39% shooting against Orlando. That's pitiful considering who was guarding him. This is either a push or maybe even a slight advantage for the Lakers.

KG may be somewhat washed up, but he usally at least atempts to bring it every night. Odom can be great when he wanst to, but sometimes just doens't do anything. He did play well for the most part against Phoenix, but if I recall he wasn't much of a factor against the Celtics 2 years ago. Granted, that was before KG's knees blew up. This could definetly go either way. One of the most important matchups of the series.

I just can't see the Celtics winning this series at all. Even if Pierce continues to play like he currently is, which to me is unlikely, the Lakers just have too much fire power. Kobe is playing tremendous right now and the Celtics will not be able to counter that.

Talent wise, the Lakers may have the advantage, but there's just something about the Celtics that makes it hard to pick against them. Obviously everyone on the Lakers wants to win another title, but there's always some sort of complacency after winning the previous year. The Lakers are definetly hungry, but I think the Celtics are even more so. Either way, should be an outstanding series. Stern has to be happy with the way things worked out, a Suns/Magic finals would've been a disaster ratings wise.

 

[Big Sexy]

Talent wise, the Lakers may have the advantage, but there's just something about the Celtics that makes it hard to pick against them. Obviously everyone on the Lakers wants to win another title, but there's always some sort of complacency after winning the previous year. The Lakers are definetly hungry, but I think the Celtics are even more so. Either way, should be an outstanding series.

If this was any other team I'd agree with you but I just don't see how anyone on the Lakers wouldn't be extremely motivated to get revenge on the team that beat them in the finals two years. The Lakers have many of the same players still on their roster and Kobe for sure has to be salivating at this rematch. If the Celtics can steal game 1 or 2 in LA then I may be more inclined to give them a chance. The Lakers to me are just the far superior team.

 

[People's Champ]

After a nice long weekend I'm ready to talk Finals. This was the matchup the Lakers must have wanted. A chance at getting back at Boston for the beatdown they put on the Lakers 2 years ago. Kobe loves these kind of postions, getting an opportunity to exact some revenge. I think the Lakers are much better than they were 2 years ago, and despite Boston's surprising run, I think they aren't as good as they were when they won it all. They have an advantage at PG, but that's because Fisher is no longer what he was at the defensive end. I can't see the Lakers losing this series. I think they have the advantage in every other area. Lakers in 6.

 

[jmt225]

So, we have a series.

And why do we have a series? One name - "Big Baby" Glenn Davis. This guy has BY FAR been the most consistent player for the Celtics these Finals, and tonight he led them to victory in a MUST win situation, by scoring 18 points, while shooting 7-10 from the field. He was FANTASTIC, as he has been the majority of the time he has been on the court since the Finals started. Nate Robinson also played a huge role tonight, scoring a very loud 12 points. With Rondo struggling, they needed him more than ever and he stepped up. Great game from both those guys. Also, Paul Pierce, who has been horrible so far this series, finally had a good game.

However, the Celtics backs are still against the wall. They desperately need the Big 4 to step up and all have good games, rather than each one having a good game here and there while the rest of them struggle. Sunday's game is huge, and it's very important all Boston's starters step up and look like the 2008 Celtics team and destroy these Lakers like they're capable of. That's the only chance they have of winning this series, IMO.

 

[Big Sexy]

Glen Davis and Nate Robinson pulled a Derek Fisher tonight. The stars weren't getting the job done and those two stepped up. That's what high energy, role players need to do every once in a while. However, the Celtics can't expect them to do this on a nightly basis and they need to play much better if they want to win this series.

These bench players always have a habit of disappearing on the road and let's not forget the Lakers still have home court advantage. Glen Davis was just 5-16 with only 11 points in games 1 and 2 combined in LA (so no JMT Davis hasn't been doing this all series). We have a series but like tonight, game 5 is a must win for the C's.

 

[jmt225]

These bench players always have a habit of disappearing on the road and let's not forget the Lakers still have home court advantage. Glen Davis was just 5-16 with only 11 points in games 1 and 2 combined in LA (so no JMT Davis hasn't been doing this all series). We have a series but like tonight, game 5 is a must win for the C's.

The stat sheet doesn't say it all sometimes, BS.

Game 1, I'll give you, that was Big Baby's worst game. However, Glenn Davis was a HUGE reason why the Celts won Game 2, with his hustle plays and making a couple of HUGE shots towards the end of the game.

The stats don't say it all sometimes, man, but if you watch all the games (which I know you have), you'll see that Davis is the one Celtics player who's ALWAYS giving 100% and making a difference while he's on the court.

But, I agree with your other statement 100%. As good as Davis and Robinson is, they're not good enough to beat the Lakers. However, the bigs for the Celtics, with help from guys like Davis and Robinson, most certainly are. It's key for them to start hitting as a unit, instead of as individuals.