New Jersey Nets--PWND!!!

[DiscipleDOC]

New Jersey looked like a bunch of school girls playing the Heat this series. Hmm...I wonder will Vince Carter go to another team now...? :D

[DiscipleDOC]

What? No response? I was sure to hear someone claim how the Heat's going to loose BIG in the next round...

[schuey74]

I'm not so sure there's anything to get excited about in regards to Miami's first round destruction of NJ. Isn't the #1 seed supposed to manhandle the # 8 seed anyways, that is what Phoenix did to Memphis in the West as well, and none of those games went into O.T. Miami should beat Chicago/Washington in no more than five games and after that they may be challenged a bit, but I wouldn't hold my breath. What other team has the top three picks from a given year ('92), and one of those being better than 90% of the centers in the league.....and he's the backup. Plus there is that Wayne guy that appears to be pretty good, don't you think. This Heat team appears to be much better than last year's Lakers so anything less than a Finals appearance would be quite weak.

[DiscipleDOC]

I'm not so sure there's anything to get excited about in regards to Miami's first round destruction of NJ. Isn't the #1 seed supposed to manhandle the # 8 seed anyways, that is what Phoenix did to Memphis in the West as well, and none of those games went into O.T. Miami should beat Chicago/Washington in no more than five games and after that they may be challenged a bit, but I wouldn't hold my breath. What other team has the top three picks from a given year ('92), and one of those being better than 90% of the centers in the league.....and he's the backup. Plus there is that Wayne guy that appears to be pretty good, don't you think. This Heat team appears to be much better than last year's Lakers so anything less than a Finals appearance would be quite weak.
I agree. :D

[bknblk]

First off; The Heat of this season are not superior to the Lakers of last season. Malone's injury is the sole reason that the Lakers lost to the Pistons. Haslem better than Malone? Dooling better than Payton? Wade=Kobe of last season. Sorry, but the Spurs will beat them in six.

[DiscipleDOC]

I doubt it. The Spurs are not the Spurs of last season, either. Duncan is riddled with injury. Parker is still playing the same, but Genobli (sp) is not the same. Horry is...well he's Horryble :D

Sacremento will beat the Spurs, and they will lose to the Heat in seven.

[schuey74]

First off; The Heat of this season are not superior to the Lakers of last season. Malone's injury is the sole reason that the Lakers lost to the Pistons. Haslem better than Malone? Dooling better than Payton? Wade=Kobe of last season. Sorry, but the Spurs will beat them in six.
The players you mentioned may have been great at their prime, or when not injured (Malone), or in a system that favored them (Payton). But the Lakers from last year's playoffs are not as good as this year's Heat. I'll take this year's Zo before last year's Malone any day. Who was the Laker's back up center......or should I say who cares? And the mere fact that you say that the Spurs will beat the Heat in this year's Finals in six games while the Lakers would have been swept without Kobe's lucky three at the end of game two last year means that you agree with me and don't even know it! :p

[bknblk]

The players you mentioned may have been great at their prime, or when not injured (Malone), or in a system that favored them (Payton). But the Lakers from last year's playoffs are not as good as this year's Heat. I'll take this year's Zo before last year's Malone any day. Who was the Laker's back up center......or should I say who cares? And the mere fact that you say that the Spurs will beat the Heat in this year's Finals in six games while the Lakers would have been swept without Kobe's lucky three at the end of game two last year means that you agree with me and don't even know it! :p

Before I read your location, I simply thought you were ignorant of the game. Now I realize that you are just being a biased fan and therefore cannot objectively offer an opinion on this matter. Zo of this year bnetter than Malone of last. The same "old" Malone that shut down Duncan and KG in consecutive series? Um, ok.

[schuey74]

Before I read your location, I simply thought you were ignorant of the game. Now I realize that you are just being a biased fan and therefore cannot objectively offer an opinion on this matter. Zo of this year bnetter than Malone of last. The same "old" Malone that shut down Duncan and KG in consecutive series? Um, ok.
Thanks for at least not jumping to the conclusion that I am ignorant of the game! But you did make the mistake of calling me a biased fan, so you made quite the leap there. I'm a fan of the Atlanta Hawks, but unfortunately I have had nothing to cheer about since Nique left all those years ago. In fact I would say that I've leaned heavily towards hating the Heat for many years....you have no idea how I LOVED watching that Allan Houston layup bounce in a few years ago to send the Heat packing yet again @ the hands of the Knicks! Now I can just appreciate that until someone beats them this year they appear to be the best.....if they lose, I'd be wrong, along with the majority of basketball analysts.

I think it would be more prudent for you to accept my opinion as objective based on what facts I stated in my previous post. Although I will admit that without seeing the results of a Miami / Detroit series it will be difficult to make a definite arguement. But if Miami beats the same team that basically swept the Lakers in the Finals last year, what is left to discuss? I'm not a fan of Shaq and I hated the obvious calls that went his way as he elbowed Mutumbo to death on his way to his first championship, but he does have three of those championships and two more finals appearances. Gary and Karl are ofers (I beleive 0-3 in the finals between both of them). If Payton's so great he wouldn't be struggling to beat the weakest team Indiana has sent to the Playoffs in years and Malone was Michael's b!tch in two straight Finals and then ran over to L.A. to try and pick up a free ring. A "Great" team is more than just a bunch of superstars put together on the same court as team USA has managed to prove on more than one occassion.

And by now this shouldn't surprise you, but I really would like to see the Heat lose - I just wouldn't bet on it. Just my opinion......which would turn into fact if the Heat beat the Pistons on the way to at least a Finals appearance.

[1337_Like_ThaT]

First off; The Heat of this season are not superior to the Lakers of last season. Malone's injury is the sole reason that the Lakers lost to the Pistons. Haslem better than Malone? Dooling better than Payton? Wade=Kobe of last season. Sorry, but the Spurs will beat them in six.

:lame:

Bknblk go back to your political thread and stay off the sports. Malone's injury is sole reason why Lakers lost? ROFL :udawg: Umm No Some 40 year old veteran is not going to bring a team to victory, but rather keep the benches warm. What good did Payton do for them last year?? That's why they got rid of him this year, he's another washed out player. 1 person and 1 person alone, Shaq, is what dominated the Lakers to what they were, now being with the Heat it's a whole new story. Spurs?? Please Hhahaa Loosing to the Nuggets in game 1 and barely going by them in game 4 in overtime. Geez......(bs)

[bknblk]

:lame:

Bknblk go back to your political thread and stay off the sports. Malone's injury is sole reason why Lakers lost? ROFL :udawg: Umm No Some 40 year old veteran is not going to bring a team to victory, but rather keep the benches warm. What good did Payton do for them last year?? That's why they got rid of him this year, he's another washed out player. 1 person and 1 person alone, Shaq, is what dominated the Lakers to what they were, now being with the Heat it's a whole new story. Spurs?? Please Hhahaa Loosing to the Nuggets in game 1 and barely going by them in game 4 in overtime. Geez......(bs)


Um, no. You have proven in this single post that your knowledge of the sport is so insufficient to even make commentary that is even coherent. Tell Reggie Miller that a 40yo cannot ball. Go back and watch some tapes of the SA or Minny series of last year and tell me that Duncan and Garnett, each superstars, were effectively limited by Malone's defense. I do not know what "dominating a team to where they were" means exactly, but I am not going to argue with a guy that is 1337, as he might actually be over 13 years of age. We will see who laughs last with regards to ourr respective prognostications. In the meantime, I look forward to more of your unintentional comedy.

[schuey74]

bknblk, since you didn't respond to my previous post I'll assume that you agree with it, at least for the most part. And w/ Indy beating the Celts again a Detroit/Indy matchup looks very likely and I'd be truly shocked if Detroit lost that series. I also think you'll agree that a very well rested Heat team should have little problem disposing of either the Wizards or the Bulls in the next round.....then we'll have our beloved Detroit/Miami Eastern conf. finals and our answer as to how good this Heat team actually is - I'm just as interested as you to find out if they're really as good as they seem!

Now hopefully Duncan & co. can close out the chicken McNuggets and good luck on controlling Ray Allen in the next round! :)

[DiscipleDOC]

I can't see how the Bulls or the Wizards got into the play offs in the first place....

[schuey74]

I can't see how the Bulls or the Wizards got into the play offs in the first place....
Cause there are eight spots that have to be filled in that bracket and besides the Heat and Pistons, the rest of the East was a joke this year for a variety of reasons. I expect NJ to be better next year and hopefully Cleveland can stop wasting LeBron's talent. Philly & Indy could be stronger next year, but strong enough to topple Detroit or Miami, I don't know.....maybe?! Washington and Chicago look to be playoff teams in the East for years to come, but they're still pretty far from being championship contenders. Boston - they won a weak division which will likely be stronger next year so I really don't expect too much from them in the near future.

[bknblk]

bknblk, since you didn't respond to my previous post I'll assume that you agree with it, at least for the most part. And w/ Indy beating the Celts again a Detroit/Indy matchup looks very likely and I'd be truly shocked if Detroit lost that series. I also think you'll agree that a very well rested Heat team should have little problem disposing of either the Wizards or the Bulls in the next round.....then we'll have our beloved Detroit/Miami Eastern conf. finals and our answer as to how good this Heat team actually is - I'm just as interested as you to find out if they're really as good as they seem!

Now hopefully Duncan & co. can close out the chicken McNuggets and good luck on controlling Ray Allen in the next round! :)

Are you aware of what happens when you assume? I never expected any different match-up in the ECF. I expect a barn burner there. San Antonio will continue their winning ways and eliminate the Suns in the WCF. San Antonio vs. Pistons/Heat in the finals with San Antonio being the victor. WRT comparing teams of different seasons; it really cannot be accurately done. For example: I believe that the '87 Lakers were the greatest team ever assembled, while others would argue that the 72-10 Bulls were superior. We can never know. I do know that Shaq's first championship came against Clay's beloved Pacers and not the Sixers as you stated in your previous post. None of us can ever be 100% accurate. I am quite comfortable with my knowledge of the game and stand by my predictions. Time will tell if I am your garden variety fan or rather a bit more informed than that. Seattle does seem to present some problems for the Spurs during the regular season, but it is the real season now and I expect it to take no more than six for the Sonics to be eliminated.

[DiscipleDOC]

Cause there are eight spots that have to be filled in that bracket and besides the Heat and Pistons, the rest of the East was a joke this year for a variety of reasons. I expect NJ to be better next year and hopefully Cleveland can stop wasting LeBron's talent. Philly & Indy could be stronger next year, but strong enough to topple Detroit or Miami, I don't know.....maybe?! Washington and Chicago look to be playoff teams in the East for years to come, but they're still pretty far from being championship contenders. Boston - they won a weak division which will likely be stronger next year so I really don't expect too much from them in the near future.
Cleveland needs to spend some more $$$ to get a big man to help out Lebron. Illamazukus (or whatever his name is) is not it. He's a good 2 stringer, but they need someone to be threat in the paint.

[schuey74]

Are you aware of what happens when you assume? I never expected any different match-up in the ECF. I expect a barn burner there. San Antonio will continue their winning ways and eliminate the Suns in the WCF. San Antonio vs. Pistons/Heat in the finals with San Antonio being the victor. WRT comparing teams of different seasons; it really cannot be accurately done. For example: I believe that the '87 Lakers were the greatest team ever assembled, while others would argue that the 72-10 Bulls were superior. We can never know. I do know that Shaq's first championship came against Clay's beloved Pacers and not the Sixers as you stated in your previous post. None of us can ever be 100% accurate. I am quite comfortable with my knowledge of the game and stand by my predictions. Time will tell if I am your garden variety fan or rather a bit more informed than that. Seattle does seem to present some problems for the Spurs during the regular season, but it is the real season now and I expect it to take no more than six for the Sonics to be eliminated.
Yes, I'm quite aware of what can happen when you assume. But when it's merely a friendly conversation regarding sports with no money or anyone's well being on line, there's really nothing to lose. If I'm wrong i'm wrong, whether I used the word "assume" or not.
Now let's please not pretend like comparing a team from '87 to one from ten years later is the same thing as comparing last year's Lakers that lost to virtually the identical Pistons team which will likely face the Heat in this year's ECF is the same thing. This is not an exact science, but my comparison is really as close as we're going to get. Besides, you are comparing two champions (Lakers & Bulls) in your example, ie teams that finished the year on top. Here we are comparing the runner-up to an as yet to be determined Heat team's final standing. I'm willing to admit that this year's Heat is not as good as last year's Lakers if they can't get past Detroit. Are really saying that you can't accept the opposite conclusion?
You're right about that first Laker championship...I had the year's flip-flopped in my mind. All I remember was my rage at seeing Mutumbo being elbowed in the face and chest in replay after replay all the while being called for fouls. That seemed like the commish Stern desperately looking to make Shaq the heir to the NBA after Michael retired. But that's just my opinion.
And I don't think whether you're right or wrong on your prediction for the championship this year can determined how informed of an NBA fan you are. There are too many variables and sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way. It wouldn't have taken much for both the Kings & Spurs to have eliminated the Lakers on their last two championship runs a few years ago. You don't even need to go that far back....what about the pivotal game five in this year's Houston/Dallas series? I guess you saw that guy standing out of bounds and stripping the ball from the Houston player with a few seconds left in the game. (sorry, it was late and I can't recall the two players involved) An obvious missed call that really could have decided the series winner. All we can do is best-guess, kinda like science, but we don't claim it to be the end all truth like them. ;)

Anyways, we'll have as good an answer as we can expect in the coming weeks. Maybe we should stickie this as an NBA playoffs thread since that's what it's becoming.

[schuey74]

Cleveland needs to spend some more $$$ to get a big man to help out Lebron. Illamazukus (or whatever his name is) is not it. He's a good 2 stringer, but they need someone to be threat in the paint.
Or maybe they shouldn't be firing a coach in the middle of the season for losing a couple of games! :rolleyes: Playoff experience is crucial to winning a championship and LeBron could really have used it this year. Cleveland's management sucks and I wouldn't blame LeBron for leaving, if he eventually does.

[DiscipleDOC]

Or maybe they shouldn't be firing a coach in the middle of the season for losing a couple of games! :rolleyes: Playoff experience is crucial to winning a championship and LeBron could really have used it this year. Cleveland's management sucks and I wouldn't blame LeBron for leaving, if he eventually does.
I was so pissed when they did that. They should've fired Paxton (GM) way before they fired Silas. Paxton was a deadbeat when they first brought him into Cleveland.

[1337_Like_ThaT]

Um, no. You have proven in this single post that your knowledge of the sport is so insufficient to even make commentary that is even coherent. Tell Reggie Miller that a 40yo cannot ball. Go back and watch some tapes of the SA or Minny series of last year and tell me that Duncan and Garnett, each superstars, were effectively limited by Malone's defense. I do not know what "dominating a team to where they were" means exactly, but I am not going to argue with a guy that is 1337, as he might actually be over 13 years of age. We will see who laughs last with regards to ourr respective prognostications. In the meantime, I look forward to more of your unintentional comedy.

Well look at that, bknblk doing what he does best......(whine):screwy:

And you have proven in this past post that the stick up your arse is much larger than the brain it took for you to use such big words. And how many championships did Malone during his life long career? How many has Duncan won? We'll see what team arises this year, but I can guarantee you one thing, it's NOT the Spurs. ;)

[bknblk]

Well look at that, bknblk doing what he does best......(whine):screwy:

And you have proven in this past post that the stick up your arse is much larger than the brain it took for you to use such big words. And how many championships did Malone during his life long career? How many has Duncan won? We'll see what team arises this year, but I can guarantee you one thing, it's NOT the Spurs. ;)

Duncan has two rings. Malone has none, but he is part of a very large group of very talented players that had the misfortune of playing during the Jordan era. I think you might want to go to nba.com and look at the Mailman's career numbers before you disparage his abilities. WRT stick up my ass, well, I guess you could put me on ignore while you, a purported university student, take a vocabulary course so that you may not be so intimidated by my command of the language. In addition, I am not a Spurs fan, so I have no vested interest in them winning the title. However, when they do, I stiil will not be vindicated in your eyes, as you are just a little worm that will instigate only from within the confines of your room at mommy's house.

[schuey74]

Can't argue with that. There is no doubt that Malone was one the top power forwards of all time and he led the Jazz closer to toppling the Bulls than any other of the superstars of the 90's. In regards to Duncan I think that until he wins one without the Admiral he will have a tough time shaking that rep. of being soft. Now I don't think he is and I think the Spurs are more than capable of winning another championship (perhaps not this year) but Popovich is a superb coach, although very underrated, and he'll take them there again.

Two rings is definetely nothing to scoff at. I think we can all agree that there are a ton of superstars which would have done anything for just one. Shaq is supposingly the most dominant player in the league for the past seven years or so and he's only got one more. And if bknblk's prediction for this year is correct Duncan would tie Shaq with three a piece.....and that's without losing twice in the finals (completely dominated both times, once by Hakeem and once by the whole Piston team). Of course that's getting ahead of myself and there's a lot of b-ball to be played before the coronation! And that's beside the point as I don't think anyone looks down on Larry's three rings or the back to back Piston championships just because Magic had five during the same era!

[Sazar]

Duncan is a great player, malone was a great player and all the others are good out there.

The pistons won last year because the lakers were out-hustled, out-coached and basically beat in every department of the game. Look @ Shaq and Horry and Payton since they have moved. New-found passion for the game. Horry is playing like the Horry of old in dunking and getting rebounds for the spurs. A few more of those and the series would have shifted in the Lakers favor.

The Pistons played and deserved to win last year and this year they are still one of the teams to beat.

It will come likely down to the Spurs/Suns and the Heat/Pistons.

I picked the Suns and Heat a while back but now that Duncan is back and firing on all cylinders, it might get more interesting.

Someone also asked why the wiz and bulls are back. Wiz == uptempo/exciting game with 3 good players, bulls == D. They BOTH deserve to be where they are and the Wiz/Heat series should be interesting.

Someone also said that Ginobli is not playing that well. The ONLY reason the Spurs are where they are is BECAUSE of Ginobli. Duncan with his injuries is not the Duncan of old and Parker has been a model of inconsistency. Ginobli has passion, drive and changes the game for the Spurs and has continued his excellent form from the Olympics. It is disingenious to say he has not been playing well.

I watched the last game with the Nugs last week in San Antonio and they're crowd is their 6th man. With home court advantage and a healthy team, SA is going to be tought to beat.