[HEY32G]

oh by the way.........

[HEY32G]

Originally Posted by OC 335i

I agree. The Championship goes thru the Champs. The Lakers sure are looking good this year. No need to try to rain on a parade in a relatively harmless thread.

Hey all I did was post a picture of Obi-Wan Ginobili, which was just like the Laker stuff. Then I get blasted for being a Spurs fan.

Now I'm just having a little fun pissing you guys off, because you're so mad about the Spurs success.

Yes, the Lakers are looking good, and so are the Suns, Mavs, Spurs, and Hornets. The Rockets were too until Yao went out.

It should be a great playoffs.

[timzerofive]

Eh? All I posted were two posters which I am going to bring to a Laker game not referring to anything else and you said, well you have to get through Chernobli first! I have to get through him to bring posters to laker game??? Haha anyway, it's all in good fun. This is the best NBA season in a long long time.

[OC Guy]

Originally Posted by GH32335i

Hey all I did was post a picture of Obi-Wan Ginobili, which was just like the Laker stuff. Then I get blasted for being a Spurs fan.

Now I'm just having a little fun pissing you guys off, because you're so mad about the Spurs success.

Yes, the Lakers are looking good, and so are the Suns, Mavs, Spurs, and Hornets. The Rockets were too until Yao went out.

It should be a great playoffs.

I'm not mad.

I like Manu a lot. He's one of the top 5 SGs in the whole NBA. Might be top 3.

[tryangles]

I respect the Spurs. They just handed it to Dallas and they are the team to beat. IMHO the only team I really fear in the NBA is the Spurs. Forget about the east. (Has anyone seen Doc River's playoff record as a coach?) Anyway with the pick up of Kurt Thomas SA is a serious contender.

[HEY32G]

Alright I'm glad you guys realize that I'm just having fun with you, and I'm not serious about being such a Spurs asshole.

To be perfectly honest, I don't know that the Spurs would have won it last year if they had to play a series against the Mavs.

I think this year's playoff will be the best we've seen in a long time.

It should be a lot of fun to watch.

[Couch]

Originally Posted by GH32335i

Yes, the Lakers are looking good, and so are the Suns, Mavs, Spurs, and Hornets. The Rockets were too until Yao went out.

The Rockets are still very much in it. We won Tuesday. If we win tonight, we will prove that we don't need Yao to win. Yao helps, but he's just one part of the team.

[SpecC]

Originally Posted by Couch

The Rockets are still very much in it. We won Tuesday. If we win tonight, we will prove that we don't need Yao to win. Yao helps, but he's just one part of the team.

let's be honest here, he's a BIG part of the team. no pun intended

[SpecC]

Originally Posted by GH32335i

Alright I'm glad you guys realize that I'm just having fun with you, and I'm not serious about being such a Spurs asshole.

To be perfectly honest, I don't know that the Spurs would have won it last year if they had to play a series against the Mavs.

I think this year's playoff will be the best we've seen in a long time.

It should be a lot of fun to watch.

i think in recent years, it's been like this

steve nash + mavs = spurs win

JT, harris + mavs = hard fought series that always goes 6-7 games with the mavs usually winning

they did win the championship when the warriors knocked the mavs straight out of the 67 win season! the mavs were just built to beat the spurs. I think devin harris has been shown too many tony parker videos because he seems to be the only PG who can keep up with parker!

[timzerofive]

It's always about the matchup. Mavs matches up well with the Spurs. That is also why Lakers are so scary once Bynum comes back.

You have two 7 footers that are drastically different that can be on the court at the same time. One is more of a finess guy, and one is a power guy. Gasol is a matchup nightmare because he can draw the big guys out towards the perimeter. While Bynum's length and ever improving footwork inside the paint just overwhelms the defender.

Lamar, who at 6'10 will scoot over to small forward position and just plain shoot over anyone defending him. Add on Fisher bruising the likes of Nash, Kidd, or Parker, and Farmar chasing them down when need be, we don't even need to bring up the Kobe factor anymore.

[Couch]

Originally Posted by SpecC

let's be honest here, he's a BIG part of the team. no pun intended

Just watch and see. The team proved Tuesday that as long as everyone picks up the slack for the tall man being out, we can win.

And Bobby Jackson is our man from 3 point land. He is a great addition.

[OC Guy]

Originally Posted by Couch

Just watch and see. The team proved Tuesday that as long as everyone picks up the slack for the tall man being out, we can win.

And Bobby Jackson is our man from 3 point land. He is a great addition.

Sorry, but the West is too competitive.

If you really think Houston can win it all being a 5-8th seed without Yao you are a homer. Being a 5th-8th seed means you have to win 3 7 game series all without homecourt advantage. Yao makes the game easier for your other players much more than TMac. Alston, Battier, Scola, etc. will not get the easy looks they are used to. Your team has one player who can get shots at will, that's Tmac. That is not enough in the playoffs where defensive intensity picks up.

Not happening. Especially this year.

[timzerofive]

Originally Posted by Couch

Just watch and see. The team proved Tuesday that as long as everyone picks up the slack for the tall man being out, we can win.

And Bobby Jackson is our man from 3 point land. He is a great addition.

Houston can probably maintain a few games above .500 without Yao if T-Mac stays healthy. That's a big IF too, seeing that now he's going to be handling most of the scoring load. Now being a few games above .500 makes you a decent team.

The unfortunate thing is, being a few games above .500 will not get you into the playoffs. Not in this western conference. Not this year. Houston should be dreading that this injury didn't happen 3 weeks ahead of time so they can make a move before the trade deadline too.

[TheAcAvenger]

Originally Posted by SpecC

i think in recent years, it's been like this

steve nash + mavs = spurs win

JT, harris + mavs = hard fought series that always goes 6-7 games with the mavs usually winning

they did win the championship when the warriors knocked the mavs straight out of the 67 win season! the mavs were just built to beat the spurs. I think devin harris has been shown too many tony parker videos because he seems to be the only PG who can keep up with parker!

I have to disagree. The mavs losing to the warriors had EVERYTHING to do with Don Nelson. The Warriors beat the mavs TWICE during the regular season. No other team did so. Everyone knew when the playoff tree was set that the mavs were screwed because they had to play the one team that was completely capable of playing them. You have one coach lead a team for such a long time, rear all the players to his play styles and methodology and then you play against that coach? You have no change. He knows everything about every player on your team, their tendencies, offensive schemes. Not even to mention that avery johnson learned most of the things he knew about coaching from Nelson.


While i'm at it, the Lakers are excellent, but they're going to have to reprove everything when the playoffs start. Outside of Fisher and Kobe, they have little playoff experience. Kobe hasn't been playoff dominant in a while ago (wasn't it last year or the year before that he didnt really even show up to the Suns game 6?). However, the Lakers don't play the defense you need in the playoffs. Fisher isn't a defender. Gasol isn't a defender. Gasol doesn't even like playing in the post. Bynum isn't a defender, Odom isn't a defender. They have Kobe Bryant, and unfortunately Kobe bryant can't guard a big man.

Bynum is an overwhelming presence? Hahah okay. Bynum is easily intimidated. He was intimidated by Eddy Curry of all people. Kurt Thomas will frustrate him beyond reason and Tim Duncan will make him soil his pants. Dirk is a horrible matchup for him as well.


Sorry rockets fans, you might make the playoffs somehow, but you know you're finished.

I haven't seen enough Hornets to say where they'll going, but I dont see them beating any of the battle tested teams in the playoffs.

The Mavs Spurs game last night was awesome. That's the WCF's im hoping for.

Based off matchups, my predictions would be:
I'll say the Spurs can beat everyone in the playoffs except the Mavs.
The Lakers can beat everyone in the playoffs except the Spurs, but the Suns could give them problems.
The Mavs can beat everyone but the Lakers or Spurs
The Suns could beat the Lakers, but I dont see them beating the Spurs or Mavs.

A short note on the East.. I'm still not buying into the Celtics hype. But the Pistons are serious. They matchup incredibly well against the Lakers, especially.

[bartman32]

Originally Posted by timzerofive

It's always about the matchup. Mavs matches up well with the Spurs. That is also why Lakers are so scary once Bynum comes back.

You have two 7 footers that are drastically different that can be on the court at the same time. One is more of a finess guy, and one is a power guy. Gasol is a matchup nightmare because he can draw the big guys out towards the perimeter. While Bynum's length and ever improving footwork inside the paint just overwhelms the defender.

Lamar, who at 6'10 will scoot over to small forward position and just plain shoot over anyone defending him. Add on Fisher bruising the likes of Nash, Kidd, or Parker, and Farmar chasing them down when need be, we don't even need to bring up the Kobe factor anymore.

Hey as much as I love the Lakers bringing Bynum back won't be as easy as everyone thinks. First the easiest position in the triangle is the center and Gasol is going to have to learn it from another position but the thing that scares me the most is Odom playing small forward. Sure he'll be great on defense but rebounds will go down and have you looked at his 3 point stat? Let me just say that it's not the best. In fact he would do better to give that shot up!

[OC Guy]

Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

However, the Lakers don't play the defense you need in the playoffs. Fisher isn't a defender. Gasol isn't a defender. Gasol doesn't even like playing in the post. Bynum isn't a defender, Odom isn't a defender. They have Kobe Bryant, and unfortunately Kobe bryant can't guard a big man.

Lamar Odom has played in 25 playoff games. That is plenty.

Kobe playoff numbers:
06-07 averaged 32 pts, 46 FG%, 4.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds
05-06 he averaged 27.9 pts, 50 FG% , 5.1 assists, 6.3 rebounds

Where are you saying he hasn't been playoff dominant? It was tough in those years when you have players like Smush Parker and Kwame Brown Starting. Both players who are getting DNPs on their new teams. Those numbers I posted do not lie.

Gasol has a post game what are you talking about? He operates in the high/pinch post and low post. Bynum is defenitely a defender.

Bynum is an overwhelming presence? Hahah okay. Bynum is easily intimidated. He was intimidated by Eddy Curry of all people. Kurt Thomas will frustrate him beyond reason and Tim Duncan will make him soil his pants. Dirk is a horrible matchup for him as well.

Against Kurt Thomas Bynum scored 12 pts, had 10 rebounds while shooting 5 out of 7 in only 26 minutes earlier this season. Against the Knicks he shot 75% with 13 pts, 8 boards, 2 blocks.

Tim Duncan and Dirk are horrible matchups for everyone. Bynum doesn't have to be an overwhelming presence. He needs to be a defensive anchor and he does that. He's averaging 13 pts, 10.2 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 28 minutes a game!

Tim Duncan in 2 games vs the Lakers this year averaged 16.5 Pts, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, while shooting only 41%. Bynum did a fantastic job on him this year.

The Lakers are rated the 5th defensive team in the NBA and 2nd offensive team in the NBA right now.

[OC Guy]

Originally Posted by bartman32

Hey as much as I love the Lakers bringing Bynum back won't be as easy as everyone thinks. First the easiest position in the triangle is the center and Gasol is going to have to learn it from another position but the thing that scares me the most is Odom playing small forward. Sure he'll be great on defense but rebounds will go down and have you looked at his 3 point stat? Let me just say that it's not the best. In fact he would do better to give that shot up!

Odom at 3 will be a concern but in recent games Odom has been playing the 2 and 3 spot in the triangle on offense.
Reference: http://www.clublakers.com/forums/los...-2-t90227.html

Gasol will be fine at the 4. The triangle involves him playing the 4 or 5 anyways. The thing about the triangle is players have to play multiple positions. BTW, Gasol is already playing the 4 in practice.

[Couch]

Originally Posted by OC 335i

Sorry, but the West is too competitive.

If you really think Houston can win it all being a 5-8th seed without Yao you are a homer. Being a 5th-8th seed means you have to win 3 7 game series all without homecourt advantage. Yao makes the game easier for your other players much more than TMac. Alston, Battier, Scola, etc. will not get the easy looks they are used to. Your team has one player who can get shots at will, that's Tmac. That is not enough in the playoffs where defensive intensity picks up.

Not happening. Especially this year.

Originally Posted by timzerofive

Houston can probably maintain a few games above .500 without Yao if T-Mac stays healthy. That's a big IF too, seeing that now he's going to be handling most of the scoring load. Now being a few games above .500 makes you a decent team.

The unfortunate thing is, being a few games above .500 will not get you into the playoffs. Not in this western conference. Not this year. Houston should be dreading that this injury didn't happen 3 weeks ahead of time so they can make a move before the trade deadline too.

It's called having faith in my team.

I never really watch basketball. Although, I did go the game last Sunday.

[OC Guy]

BTW, did anyone see Kobe block Marion's dunk last night?

[OC Guy]

Originally Posted by Couch

It's called having faith in my team.

I never really watch basketball. Although, I did go the game last Sunday.

Nuff said.

[McLuVan]

wut the....

[HEY32G]

I do have to chime in here. I really think the Rockets will have a hard time without Yao. Whoever wins the West will have to have all their players healthy, and they must be hitting their peak at the right time. Hey and I like the Rockets, although some of their fans come down here for games and go way beyond being assholes.

And whoever said, it's all about matchups is exactly right.