NBA Playoffs Thread

[FlyWf]

teamdonkey- The Cavs have played one fewer home game than the Pistons. The two Cavs losses ended with the Cavs taking a highish percentage game winning shot attempt, that's not true for the Pistons' losses.

I know, I know, the Nets would've already wrapped this series up, but the Cavs have outplayed the Pistons so far.

[Vyse]

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Rank these players in terms of who you want on your team in the final 5 minutes of Game 7 of the Finals, against a very good defensive team.

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Kobe last on that list. He's horrendous in the 4th quarter.

[prohornblower]

Last night was incredible. I don't even like watching basketball, but seeing what transpired was riveting. I even had to nudge my girlfriend who was half-asleep and explain to her what "we" (me, her, and our puppy) were witnessing. When it is all said and done, this will merely be one small piece of his legacy.

Talk about Alpha Male. The dude made professional athletes (and coaches) look like bumbling Junior High nerds. It was akin to Darrel Dawkins dunking on Albert Einstein in the Man of the Milennium contest, if that actually happened.

Even God walking on water thinks this is impressive.

Also, KidColin, you are losing at this thread. How the hell can you even compare this to Kobe's 81? Kobe's 81 featured like 932 free-throws. Also, his teammates were literally giving him the ball just to see how many he could put up. It was a farce. Great performance, sure. But a farce. Last night was different, LBJ's teammates were giving him the ball because they wanted to win, and doing so was the only way to win.

If you can't see the difference, you need to get your eyes checked. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[kidcolin]

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Rank these players in terms of who you want on your team in the final 5 minutes of Game 7 of the Finals, against a very good defensive team.

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Kobe last on that list. He's horrendous in the 4th quarter.

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Horrendous is a bit much, but he doesn't rank near the top, according to 82games. However, sickboy DID stipulate they have their A+ game.

[mmbt0ne]

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The reason no one gave the Cavs a chance is because no one expected the Pistons to totally collapse and hand the Cavs the series.

Spurs are going to blow out whomever they play by 15+ in each game.

[/ QUOTE ]i'd be willing to bet that it goes 6 or 7, you win if its a sweep, we push if its 5...will bet this with anyone who wants it

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That's a [censored] bet straight up, so what odds are you giving?

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How about SA avg margin of victory < 15 points?

[Assani Fisher]

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so btw - just wanted to add a few comments about the game - especially for all of you ZOMG everyone sucks except lebron guys.

Z actually played well and had a number of key hoops in a little stretch where if they don't score the pistons probably go up 10ish.

the cavs played SICK defense in at least 10 crucial possessions - probably more. additionally there were countless times where little things that perhaps many of you don't notice wound up having an enormous impact - a second player would shade to the ball at the perfect time and would wind up ruining the entire flow for the trip, a big guy would play the high screen/roll perfectly taking 6 seconds off the shot clock etc. i don't know who gets credit for that stuff - but it's not lebron.

lastly - there is a chicken/egg thing wrt some of the younger guys playing in that 4th quarter plus stretch. i don't know if in the huddle lebron was just saying "give me the ball every time and get out of the way". or if mike brown was saying "give lebron the ball and get out of his way". or who knows. but what i will say is that guys like sasha, gibson, varejao were far more inhibited offensively - and it's not because they suck. it's because they've never been there before and the the way lebron was playing had a negative effect on their games. this is no ones fault but their own, but it is completely understandable. sasha is normally a killer - any shot, anywhere without fear, yet he passed up numerous shots he should have taken because he was afraid of not letting lebron shoot. the few shots he did take looked uncharacteristically awful.

um i have some more but need to go pay my bills - be back later!

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good posting, especially the last paragraph. I totally understand what you're talking about there, and I've had it happen to me before.

[anatta]

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Rank these players in terms of who you want on your team in the final 5 minutes of Game 7 of the Finals, against a very good defensive team. Note: they are playing their A+ game

DWade
LBJ
Kobe
Dirk
Jordan
Bird
TDuncan
KG
Baron Davis
Reggie Miller

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If I need a miracle, like down by 13, I take Kobe. He pulls crazy stuff out of his ass more than anyone I have seen. If its a tight game, Jordan. Then Bird. Then probably Kobe (remember the only game they won vs. Pistons, it was Kobe). I like the competetors who refuse to lose, and the good free throw shooters. Still, I go with Duncan, LBJ then D. Wade. Duncan is just so good, I will take him, since he draws attention, gets it done on both end. Oh, Millers there. Okay, I'm done anyways.

[suzzer99]

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If I need a miracle, like down by 13, I take Kobe. He pulls crazy stuff out of his ass more than anyone I have seen.

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I think you're confusing Kobe with Phil Jackson.

[Assani Fisher]

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Rank these players in terms of who you want on your team in the final 5 minutes of Game 7 of the Finals, against a very good defensive team. Note: they are playing their A+ game

DWade
LBJ
Kobe
Dirk
Jordan
Bird
TDuncan
KG
Baron Davis
Reggie Miller

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big men are going to be unfairly ranked low here due to the nature of the question, but....

1. Kobe
2. MJ
3. Bird
4. Wade
5. Lebron
6. Reggie
7. Dirk
8. Baron
9. Duncan
10. KG

[CarlSpackler]

All I will say about last night is that LeBron's performance was better than any post season performance Jordan EVER had. You can replace LeBron last night with Jordan in his prime and the Cavs lose that game 99 out of 100 times. That performance wasn't Jordanesque. It was LeBronesque, and the phrase Jordanesque is pretty much dead now as far as great postseason performances go. From now on it's LeBronesque. It's official. And this is coming from someone who has a lifesize cardboard cutout of Jordan in their spare bedroom.

The only NBA postseason performance greater than this since 1980 is Magic's 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists, when playing starting at center for Kareem, who was universally acknowledged as the greatest player in the league at that time, in game 6 of the finals. Oh, and he was a rookie. To further put in perspective how ridiculous that performance was imagine if Shaq was hurt during game 6 of the Lakers - Pacers Finals. Think Kobe could have started at center?