inkriminator

The First games are being played Sat the 22nd, if someone wants to make a pool like one thats been done for NHL, more power to you, i'd just like to hear some thoughts on this.

My predictions

Detroit over Milwaukee, 5 games
Miami over chicago, 6 games
New Jersey over Indiana 5 games
Washington [upset special] over Cleveland 7 games.

I like washington here because Ilgauskas doesn't seem to fit very well with the time so that negates Washington's lack of a center. I think LeBron will go off for 50 at some point in the series but predict he will have trouble finding the balance between doing too much himself and trying to get other team-mates involved too much, its his first series i think his inexperience will show.

in the West

San Antonio over Sacramento 6 games -> duncan's health issues
Pheonix over lakers in 6 ->
you hafta guess Kobe can take over at least two games, but with no defense on the lakers he can't outscore Phoenix by himself

Denver over Clippers 6 games -> I haven't had the chance to see either of these teams play, but I just think the Clippers aren't used to winning while Denver has an absolute assassin in 'Melo.

Dallas over Memphis 5 games -> How are the grizz in the playoffs?


Back East
Miami over New Jersey in 6 ->NJ won the season series, but D-Wayde can bring it, he carried the Heat to the conf. finals last year, he can singlehandledly take them

Detroit over Washington in 5 ->I hate to say my wizards are losing, but Detroit is too solid.

In the West.
San Antonio over Dallas 6-> San Antonio is too balanced.
PHeonix over Denver 6 -> Phoenix has too many weapons for Denver to D

Miami over Detroit in 7->Assuming Zo and Shaq stay healthy, Miami has too many good experienced pieces by now with one superstar player in Wade who can make the difference


Phoenix over San Antonio in 7-> I think the Suns athleticism will bother Duncan who is sure to be aching by this point

FINALLY I say
Miami over Phoenix in 7
Again, I just think this is Dwayne's time to shine, Nash will make it interesting but I think the inside presence of Shaq and Zo [assuming they are still there] will make the difference with Stoudamire being gone.

maximusveritas

I'll just make my 1st round picks for now. I don't really see any upsets happening in this round. The top 3 (record-wise) in each conference are way ahead of the rest.

Detroit in 4
Miami in 5
New Jersey in 5
Cleveland in 6

San Antonio in 5
Phoenix in 5
Clippers in 6
Dallas in 5

Willravel

Boy it's a good time to be a Detroit fan.

Detroit in 5
Miami in 6
New Jersey in 7
Cleveland in 7

San Antonio in 5
Phoenix in 4 (I'm not a big Lakers fan)
Clippers in 7
Dallas in 6

goddfather40

Detroit in 4
Miami in 6
New Jersey in 6
Cleveland in 6

San Antonio in 6
Lakers in 6
Clippers in 5
Dallas in 7

Random Observations:
I realistically know that the Lakers are probably going to lose in 6 or 7 games, but they are a different team now than the beginning of the year and my homer instinct kicks in. The thing that worries me is the fact that Kwame is going to have to guard a non-center because the Suns don't really have one. They can bring Kwame (and his new found defensive ability) away from the basket at will, leaving the lane open for Nash to drive and score, or drive and kick.

I also think Memphis can surprise some people, they have been inconsistent, but when they are on, they are a great defensive team.

There is no reason Detroit and San Antonio should not steamroll everyone into the Finals.

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powerclown

And here we go.
1st Round:

No. 1 Detroit vs. No. 8 Milwaukee: Pistons in 5. Michael Redd gets his, the rest of the Bucks get shut down. Could be a supremely boring series. Pistons lose a game for Stern and the NBA (and Shaq). Wish it were Chicago playing Detroit instead.

No. 2 Miami vs. No. 7 Chicago: Shaq seems to like to sweep the early rounds, and Stern will want him rested, so Miami in 4. Chicago is a really bad team, with no playoff experience to speak of. Ultimately, Miami's fortunes hang on whether Alonzo Mourning is healthy enough to play.

No. 3 New Jersey vs. No. 6 Indiana: NJ in 5. Too much firepower, and Jermaine O'Neal hasn't been playing well (or at all). Indiana is another horrible team. Will watch for moments of Vinsanity alone. NJ could reach the EC Finals quite easily.

No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Washington: Gooood matchup, pretty even here. The wildcard of course is King James. He could make this a very short series. Regardless, Cleveland in 6.

--

No. 1 San Antonio vs. No. 8 Sacramento: Sactown is a team reborn under Artest. They should win 50 games next year. Still, they are playing the Spurs. Spurs win 4-1, probably 4-0. They are like scary monsters, the Spurs.

No. 2 Phoenix vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers: This should be a fun series. Kobe will be a madman. The Lakers have actually been playing decent ball post-Allstar game. Kwame Brown is even something resembling a player now. While I hate Phoenix for the pretenders they are, Nash and his children should win the series, 4-2. Keep an eye on Kobe, though.

No. 3 Denver vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Clippers: Great matchup. 2 middle-of-the-road teams with some great individual players. I think Brand will have a better playoffs, but Denver should win the series in 7. Skill > Experience.

No. 4 Dallas vs. No. 5 Memphis: Another good series. For winning 60 games, Dallas is rewarded (cursed) with a 4 seed and will face a good team in Memphis. Dallas is too deep for Memphis in the long run, but Memphis will make it close. Dirk Nowitzki is a phenomenal shooter, and has playoff experience. Have his leadership skills improved since last year??? Dallas in 6.

Halx

Some weird opinions you guys got here.

I'll start with my teams.

Clippers will win against the Nuggets. The only reason people doubt them is 'cause they haven't seen them play. Chris Kaman is gonna open a lot of eyes in this series. Carmello gets all the credit for being clutch, but that's just 5 games out of the year that didn't necessarily prevent his team from being #1 in a weak weak weak weak weak division. The Clippers in 6.

Phoenix over the Lakers. I hate to say it, but the Lakers don't stand a chance. The Suns are NOT pretenders though. I'm gonna watch these games, even though it will hurt my heart to see the Lakers crumble, it will be entertaining to see the Suns play. Kobe may be able to turn it on, but he cant turn his teammates on. Phoenix in 5.

Spurs are a foregone conclusion. The only people who picked the Kings are the Kings themselves. 4 games.

Dallas also drew a fairly easy pick. How the Grizzlies got the 5th seed is beyond me (I'm gonna guess that people just didn't take them seriously throughout the entire year). Dallas in 5.

I don't really care about the East, so I'll just say that the top seeds will win. It's gonna go down like a cookie cutter tournament. Some tension here and there because the teams are all equally horrible. Detroit seems to be the only good team over there still. The Nets will be entertaining to watch though.

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hunnychile

Hooray for the Phoenix Suns!!! Glad they beat the Lakers! Hope the Suns go the distance this year (that is, unless The Cavaliers get really lucky)....

I love little Stevie Nash #13 - He's such a cute ball handler!

However, the Detroit Pistons have a great record this year. All the games should be fun to watch this season.

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sixate

I can't believe you really think that. He's never struggled at anything, and he won't in this series. Maybe against Detroit, but only because Detroit is a far superior team. LeBron should be MVP. He's the most complete package in the NBA.

Spurs in 6 over Detroit. Nothing else really matters.

goddfather40

Anyone ever notice how much Nash looks like Kelly Leek from the Bad News Bears?

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maximusveritas

Yep, and it looks like we're not the only ones.
http://www.truehoop.com/2005-playoff...elly-leak.html


The Suns are going to need some more balance in Game 2. Tim Thomas isn't going to be knocking down every single shot for the whole series. They really need to get Kurt Thomas back if they want any hope of getting out of the West this time. If the Lakers can hurt them inside, imagine what Brand or Duncan will do.

inkriminator

You have to understand that no matter how skilled an individual player is, experience is invaluable, this is LeBron's first playoff series, and his inexperience has already shown. If you remember late in game two, there was a jump ball and the Cav tipped it towards Ilgauaskas and James, the both of them expected the other to corral the ball and at the last moment Lebron jumped for it, threw it behind his back where Arenas stole it and scored an easy 2.

This is an example of what I expected from LeBron, simple mistakes that are mental rather than physical.

It looks like New Jersey really has their hands full early on, I hope Indiana can take care of them so vince Carter gets no taste of victory.

WIz Cav tip off in 8 minutes, go get em Wiz!

inkriminator

i hate to post back to back, but I can't let this go. Did anyone watch the Wiz - Cav game? did you see how many steps LeBron took on his game winning shot? 4!!! two more than allowed. he had a jump-step, which should have been his last movement, then took two more steps before shooting the ball and had the gall to run back screaming about a no-call...unfrickin believable the officiatiing has been completely one sided this series and may turn out to be the deciding factor in the outcome....

anyways, as i write this Kobe Bryant is being outscored by FOUR of his team-mates, and has taken the 3rd most shots...am in bizarro world?? i know this is how they've been playing the series but it's still a surprise...you have to hand it to P. Jackson, he deserves all that ring candy he has.

sixate

If LeBron's only weakness is his playoff experience imagine how devastating he'll be after a couple of years of playoff experience. LeBron is special and no rules apply to him. He doesn't need experience because his learning curve is quicker than anyone else in the league. Cavs win in 6 games. Then get beat by a superior Detroit team in 5.

inkriminator

I agree he's special and really look forward to seeing how he's gonna be in a few years along with Dwayne Wade...but without the ref's help on Friday it'd be Wizards 2-1. hopefully the ref's are a little more evenhanded tonight.

Is anyone else shocked at how the bulls have evened the series with Miami? hinrich and gordon are playing like vets...good stuff all around.

goddfather40

KOBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know it's coming so, please don't complain about Nash calling a timeout or any of that BS. I saw nothing of the sort. He was trapped plain and simple. If you want to bitch, tell Diaw to make both free throws with under a minute to go. Tell the Suns to not let Smush steal the ball and Kobe to waltz underneath and make a floater to tie.

Man, these Lakers have more heart than any Laker team since '02.

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powerclown

Yeah, absolutely phenomenal game in LA today.

It was surreal to see the Lakers fight so hard to the very end. They seem to have slooowly gotten better and better all season, but I didn't think they were capable of playing this intensely. I didn't see any bad calls go against PHX...it's playoff basketball. I saw Nash as trapped also, just excellent D and a great steal by Smush. What a ball game -- hope they close this one out next game.

Halx

I screamed so fucking loud. I went nuts!

Amazing, tense, frustrating, gripping.. that game was awesome.

The only thing that makes me sad is.. it will be an LA vs LA second round. I want wanna choose.

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inkriminator

something tells me you weren't talking about the wizards game...

i didn't get to see the game live cuz i got kicked out of the student center at 10 (eastern time) those bastards didn't even let me see the end of the wiz game.....but i caught the clips online, that floater to send it into overtime was just spectacular, and the two Nash turnovers were his only two in the entire game...unbelievable, kobe keeps adding to his resume.

powerclown

Talk about embarrasment of riches...has this ever happened before? I thought if one is a fan of one LA team that they automatically hate the other LA team...nevertheless, obviously both teams still need to win their games to advance. It's good to see the Lakers playing so well again.

hunnychile

Kobe always comes thru for his team. He is an amazing talent.

Hats off to the Lakers today! What a great game!!!!

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dtheriault

Common Hal you can't be a clipper and a laker fan.

It's okay to like the Angels and Dodgers cause they're in opposite leagues (although if they met in the Series you would have to choose)

But the Clips and Lakes are in the same division! I have to say that I am a Laker fan through and through. I like this Clipper team and if the Lakers lose I hope the Clippers do well, but I'm not sure about the being a fan of both thing. Although I also don't like Heroin and Prison sex, but who am I to talk?

That being said the game today was amazing. Luke and Lamar have been great the whole series. The fouls on Kobe in the 1st half were way worse than any non-call on Nash.

Go Lakers!

PS- Did you see Kobe botch both of his free throws when the crowd started loudly chanting MVP while he shot from the line- stupid playoff fans.

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dtheriault

Here's the worst part about being a Laker fan.

They'll win out against the Suns.
Then they'll beat the Clippers in 7 cause common they're the Clippers. Then Dallas beats the Spurs and the Lakers beat Dallas.

Then the Lakers play either LeBron, the Bulls or the Nets any of those should be winnable plus they'll make for good TV.

Then we go from not even expecting to make the playoffs to championship city!

I dream and dream.

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maximusveritas

As a Suns fan, that was by far the worst game I've ever seen in my life. I'm too pissed off to really complain. I will say that D'Antoni is the most over-rated coach in the game right now. I suppose it's just as well that they lost, since there was no way they were going to get very far without Amare, Kurt Thomas, and Brian Grant.

I am hoping the Lakers get stomped by the Clippers just to shut up all their bandwagon-jumping fans (not anyone here, of course). Either way, there's no way they make it past the Western Conference finals.

dtheriault

That's why I'm not too excited about the Lakers beating the Suns and why I think the Lakers can take Dallas. I think beating the Clippers in a 7 game series would be tougher for the Lakers than beating Dallas. I'm just praying Duncan gets injured... I hate watching the spurs in the finals. Anyone but the Spurs please.

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Halx

Ok Clippers got it down. Lakers are next. Then they meet. Hmm.

I really don't know who to choose. Both are awesome stories. Both are capable of playing great games. Both are my home teams.

So, I guess I'd go for whoever is more capable of surviving the next round. After 3 games, I think we'll know. The Lakers may just be that team.

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maximusveritas

I know I kind of did it myself in my last post, but I wouldn't count Phoenix out just yet. Sure, they are completely overmatched down low and could be deflated after the tough loss, but if they ever get on track from behind the arc, they have a chance of winning any game. I also expect Nash to really step up now. He's probably feeling pissed off and embarassed after that last game and his competitive spirit should give him some new energy. If he can regain his form from the Dallas series last year, he could will the Suns to victory on his own.

Cross-Over

Lakers have been playing smart and effective basketball. I have never seen Kobe more disciplined in his career, and Odom is finally getting the touches he deserves.

That being said, Nash blew it in game four. He missed three wide-open three pointers in the fourth quarter, and then he gets it stolen at the end of regulation. No excuse, he had time to get a firm grip with both of his hands (had both hands on the ball) before Smush reached in with just one hand to knock it loose. I still don't understand how Walton can get away with that foul on the last shot. Yes, refs tend to swallow their whistles with less than a minute to go, but not when it’s that blatant.

The Clippers were great; Ross is a very good defender despite his thin frame. He positions himself very well and forces difficult shots.

Memphis didn't have the effort, and Josh Howard has been and still is, underrated.

The refs need to let Shaq play and Malik Allen has a nice, fluid jumper.

Lebron did take several steps on late in game three, and that was a blatant no-call. Doesn't surprise me. Wiz-kids still came back and won game four. Caron Butler has schooled Lebron one-on-one several times this series. He is difficult to guard.

maximusveritas

I think the Raja Bell suspension will probably play out to Phoenix's advantage. Now, the Suns will play with even more of a chip on their shoulder. Raja is a tough defender, but they have guys like Eddie House, Barbosa, and James Jones who can step in and do many of the same things offensively.
I don't expect the Lakers to relax since they know what's at stake, but I do expect Kobe to try and assert himself more. Based on what's happened in their past games, that can't be good for the Lakers. On top of that, you have the distraction of Kwame Brown's situation.
If I had to make a pick right now, I'd give the edge to the Suns.

maximusveritas

Wow, that was a heck of a win by the Suns. Even though I gave them the edge, it was still a gutsy performance by every single guy on the team. Nash has really stepped up like an MVP should. Kobe was playing out of his mind as well and the Lakers gave it their best shot, but it was the Suns who had the luck for once.

If the Suns can jump out to a lead early in Game 7, I think the Lakers will fold. If they come out complacently and let the Lakers hang around though, Kobe will be looking for the kill down the stretch. It's going to be a great Game 7, but I still think the Suns have the edge at home.

dtheriault

I HATE THE LAKERS!

not really, but they're killing me. ATTENTION LAKERS: the only way you can win in the playoffs is to play extreme defense. If you can't hold the Suns to under 95 don't bother showing up.

Defense. It's what you do after you score. Circle the wagons boys it's going to be crazy in the desert sun.

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Unless you are the freakin Highlander, what is the point in learning how to fight with a sword?

inkriminator

it's been a great first round...how do you think kobe should play game 7, regular kobe, or bizarro kobe? because it's a home game, i think the best thing to do is to try and stick to the gameplan of pounding it down low and slowing the tempo, if the crowd starts getting behind Sun runs...it'll all be over.

speakin of which...here's to hoping that the ref's don't blow any big calls tonight against the Wizards.

goddfather40

Last nights Lakers/Suns Game 6 was absolutely nerve racking. I imagine it was almost like the Suns fans felt after Game 4. God, I wish Kwame would have just been a little more effective on his run out to challenge Tim Thomas' trey, but he had to do the fly by to avoid fouling, leaving Thomas wide open as hell.

The Suns have been gutsy and I'm am very, very nervous about tomorrow's Game 7. Kobe needs to probably be somewhere in between regular and "bizarro" Kobe. He can't go to straight setting up everyone because of the lack of Game 7 experience with guys like Lamar and Kwame. He will have to go for around 30 pts and 6 or 7 asts for the Lakers to win.

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maximusveritas

Well, the Lakers folded, just like I thought. Kobe was playing well in the first half, but it looks like he gave up since he wasn't getting any help.
I think the Suns should be able to ride this win into a good start against the Clippers. Sure, Brand is going to absolutely kill them inside, but they have to just hope they can either get him in foul trouble or outshoot them from outside. Now that they have this momentum, I think they might be able to pull it out. Then, they just gotta hope Dallas knocks off San Antonio.
One interesting stat is that 5 of the 7 teams who've come back from 3-1 down have gone on to win the Championship. I don't really expect that to happen this time, but it's something positive for the Suns to look at.

My predictions for the next round are:

Phoenix in 6
Dallas in 6

Detroit in 5
Miami in 7

inkriminator

you're right about kobe seeming to give up in the second half, i mean 3 shots in the second half isn't going to help his team out. Kobe just lost a lot of his supporters with that performance.

Clips in 7 <-should be a fun series
Spurs in 6 <- Duncan is waking up

Detroit in 5
Miami in 6

powerclown

Agreed. And not only did he not take shots, he didn't even try to help out his teammates by drawing double teams or setting picks or otherwise help set them up. He would pass the ball, then sit back and watch. Weird.

maximusveritas

Horrible loss by the Suns. It's hard to win when you give up 15 offensive rebounds in the first half and get outrebounded by 31 overall. It doesn't sound like Kurt Thomas is coming back anytime soon, so they just need to step up their effort in LA or they're finished. Brand and the Clippers won't let them come back from 3-1 down like Kobe and the Lakers did.

inkriminator

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playof...ory?id=2442732

Cliff Robertson has been suspended 5 games for a drug violation. DURING THE F*IN PLAYOFFS. I understand the issues with steroids, but this is too much and demonstrates the NBA's problems. My title may be over-exaggerating a little, but I think this is the single most egregious act of drug abuse in the history of sports.

But relating this to the topic, I think this devestates any chance that New Jersey had...who is going to stop Diesal now? Robinson has been averaging about 24 minutes - half the game. If Shaq has anything left in the tank, and I think he clearly does, he is going to steamroll however is matched on him, expect to see Hack-A-Shaq return with a vengeance.

This is so dissapointing...how devestating drugs can be. Sure, he makes millions, and lives a life of luxury most can't even imagine, but he is still a slave...its depressing.

maximusveritas

Probably marijuana again. It's a shame. You can take the player out of Portland, but you can't take the Portland out of a player.

inkriminator

:-) funny

it'd bet everything I own its marijuana, it's a good way to numb the pain he's been taking from big daddy shaq.

powerclown

Of all the times for a guy to spark up a fatty, Spliff Robinson has to light up during the 2nd Round of the NBA Playoffs. You know a lot of these guys are hitting the bong anyway...Kobe surely was hungover for his game 7. If the Nets lose the series, Robinson is going to look real bad.

Barely a peep in the media about the Cavs-Pistons series, which I find strange considering God Himself I mean LeBron is in it. He usually makes Cavs-Hornets games front page news. Maybe the NBA didn't mean for us to be "witnessing" a human sacrifice instead of a dominating superstar. Suns-Clippers series has been great so far.