NBA Playoffs
 

Since the board is slow, my students are doing their State testing, and I am incredibly bored, I thought I would start a thread on the playoffs and see if anyone has actually been watching...keeping in mind that I very rarely watch NBA, here are my observations so far:

1) The West games are much more fun to watch than the East games - altho the Bulls are pretty entertaiining. I'm thinkig that Suns-Bulls would be a GREAT championship match-up (not sure that will happen, but it would be fun.

2) NBA players take some really stupid shots...Iverson had a three-on-one break going and pulled up and bricked a shot from about 5 feet behind the arc. Kobe took some of the same kinds of shots last night also...the Suns took some horrific shots also.

3) Bill Walton is an idiot...

4)Why is Barkley doing the studio commentary? You can't hardly understand him because he slurs his words so badly. He is pretty funny at times, but he always seems drunk or something...

5)NBA refs sure put up with a lot at times, and then whack people for other things...example: Kobe last night starts to go up, gets stripped of the ball, no-call, and screams (loud enough for the tv to pick it up) "Where's the f@cking foul?" and there is no T called...previous night, Stephen Jackson is walking down the floor clapping his hands about a foul called against Denver and gets not one, but two T's and an ejection. Weird...

6)How do those old guys (i.e. over 50) keep up with teams like the Suns and Warriors...good grief, I get tired sitting on my couch watching...

OK...enough random thoughts...anyone else want to play along?

Here's some ideas:

http://games.yahoo.com/games/front

Tetris is one of my all-time favorites. Before you know it, the kids will be done with their tests and out the door, the hallways will clear out, and the janitors will lock all the doors. You'll never know where the time went...

Oh, ok, I'll play along with the NBA thing. Yep, I'd like to see the Suns/Bulls matchup, but I don't think the Bulls would have much of a chance. Besides, the Bulls need to get past Detroit first.

It would be interesting to see the reaction in Dallas if they don't make it past the first round. I wonder if the networks will show Mark Cuban's reaction live?

Another interesting tidbit I heard - the Lakers have not won a post-season series since Shaq left. Hmm...I thought I heard Kobe was the better player?...

Good list. I would just move your number 3 to number 1. On second thought it should be number 1 and number 3.

Suns vs. Raptors final. :cool:

Is Nash doesn't get MVP again, can we get a breakdown of white/black voters and white/black candidates? Lah me...

(Uh-oh... that one might have been over the top.)

Rocky,
You need to get your district to test in the fall. Mine falls right before basketball season and serves as a great time for me to finalize my schedule for the season and work through the test. I'm sure they'd change for those reasons. As far as talking NBA Playoffs....I'll get back to you in a month when the second round is over. :D

Sorry........

Synchronized swimming is my life!

Watching or participating?

Somehow the thought of you in a Speedo just made me lose my lunch.

I've got sparkly noseplugs too......and a l'il tiara that sticks out of the bun on top of my head.

Btw, that is watching.

ISSCDF (International Synchronized Swimming and Chicken Dancing Federaton) rules require swimmers to retire their speedos at age 40.

I assume Mrs. JR is out of the house at that time?

I can't imagine her paying attention when she is in the house. :D :D :D :p

Did Nevada have them put in that rule?

(Btw, that's one I actually agree with.)

No, silly, that's what I wear at <b>poolside</b> watching......:rolleyes:

If I'm in the house, I favor mesh stockings, a garter belt and 5" spike heels also.

Aw, crap, I just lost breakfast and last night's dinner too.

Well, they'll have to send 400 ballet dancers(the ISSCDF contracts out that kind of work) to try and rip it off my ever-fighting, never-quitting body......

"Don't give up the ship"

"We have just begun to fight"

- and all the other stirring rallying calls for Truth, Freedom, the American Way and the right to wear a Speedo to the PigglyWiggly(see ya in the Produce aisle, hon).....

Not that there's anything wrong with...

Wait a minute.

There sureashell <B>is</B> something wrong with that!

Paging Mark Padgett.

Please share a fistful of your happy pills with Mr. Speedo.

Thank you, that is all.

Knock it off you knuckleheads...get this thread back on topic before more people start picturing JR in speedos and start losing their lunches too...the combined weight of the vomit could cause the earth to tilt farther on it's axis, thus changing the relaion to the sun and ushering in another Ice Age...all because of one man and a swimming suit...gack!

anyway...back to the original topic please...

You ask us for random posts, then when you get them you complain?!

geeze...maybe your speedo's on a little too tight today?

So you're saying Jurassic in a bathing suit is the cure for global warming? Somebody call Al Gore!!

No, I think he's saying forget global warming, JR's speedos are the cause of global cooling.

Al Gore will be pissed when he finds out Rocky's moving in on his business.

Lucky I've scheduled a self-bikini wax for tonight.....

Tipper should take the hint.........talk about a bush in politics..... :p

Sorry, Deej, but you just discovered the ugly truth. Synchronized swimming is waaaaaaay more popular than NBA basketball. Deal with it!

PS-Don't tell David Stern. That man will be shattered.

Shattered, I tell ya.

LOL...you guys are weird...speaking of Stern, did anyone see his interview during the Golden State/Dallas game?? Slammed on Bill Walton...

Don't bother Al Gore! He's busy inventing this funky new contraption he's calling a wheel!!

How about them Mavericks?

That oughta get 'er going..........

What happened to the Mavs? Are they out? If so, it makes it easier for Nash to win a championship! Phx just needs to get by GS.

I think the votes were already in before last night.

Now this statement proves that you really don't watch the NBA. Kobe has never had anything close to D Wade or Alonzo Mourning as a supporting cast. The Florida Gators could probably beat the Lakers without Kobe.

Really random - while I watch Sportscenter.

I didn't know Tony Gwynn's son was in the majors.
Pete Sampras looks older, but he could probably still compete.

:confused:

Methinks you misread his post, Tom. Juggler said "championship", not MVP. Unless they've changed, the NBA doesn't vote to see who wins a game(unless you believe the fanboy conspiracy theories:D ).

I read MVP, also.

I couldn't find the smilie with the tongue in his cheek, so I was hoping the words alone would convey the slight hint of sarcasm. I don't think there's any doubt Kobe wanted Shaq out of town, so he could be "the man". However, he forgot that most NBA championship-caliber teams usually have 2 great players working together, not just one. Jordan and Pippen, Bird and Parrish, Magic and Kareem, Malone and Stockton (oops...never mind). But you know what I mean. I can't think of any "one man shows" that have ever won the championship. You almost always need at least that second great player.

Granted, I don't watch the NBA that often. But I will, on occasion, watch it this time of year (as long as the Cubs aren't on at the same time... ;))

How?:confused:

Juggler said <i>"If so, it makes it easier for Nash to win a <b>championship</b>."</i>

Mavs just ran into a really hot team at the wrong time of the season...I've never really liked the way Dallas has played the last few years - they are too "soft" to be winning the big series. Loads of offensive talent, but you gotta have that "enforcer" presence in the middle to make people think twice before driving the lane...you know, Maurice Lucas, Paul Silas, Bill Laimbeer - the closest thing to them these days is Ben Wallace and that's a huge reason Chicago is where they are at this season.

And btw, the Cubs suck...

Oooh...this is coming from a real cocky Mariner's fan???

Well, a sort of cocky Mariners fan...

My guess is there was a delete and a rewrite.
I mean, really how could tomegun and I both be wrong on the same subject ? :)

Well, as Ron Jeremy so wisely said once, "don't go off half-cocked now".

Well, in the grand scale of things, who cares anyway?:)

Topless bowling is my life!

It was hiding in full view in response #4 this thread. :)

You said something about you thought you heard Kobe was the better player between Kobe and Shaq. I followed up by saying Kobe hasn't had anyone like Wade or Mourning (since Shaq left was assumed). I mentioned it being obvious that you don't watch the NBA because the Heat won their championship last year because of Wade and Mourning. Kobe's supporting cast is garbage and he got a bad rap (one of the reasons) because he couldn't get along with someone who yearly is still working himself into basketball shape when the playoffs start. Jordan didn't have that problem with Pippen, Magic didn't have that problem with Kareem and so on. As a matter of fact, if it wasn't for Wade playing out of his mind, Mourning playing well in the fourth and Avery Johnson being a questionable coach Shaq wouldn't have won another ring.

BTW, Avery Johnson should get fired!

That'd be cool, except Tomegun quoted response #28 in <b>his</b> response.

Can't fool ol' JR. Nosiree, BillJoeBob, y'all surely can't.:D

Underwater polevaulting is my life!

I prefer Blindfolded Lawn Darts.

Much more exciting.

My mistake.

The game where you play nude and have to wear a bell too?

I used to referee in the pro league.

It's true, it's true.........

I'm not sure we're entirely on opposite ends of this one. My Kobe comment was just directed at the fact he wanted to be the main attraction on the Lakers and seemingly not share the spotlight. However, almost all NBA rings are won with more than one superstar/Hall Of Famer/future HOF'er, etc. Having more than one doesn't guarantee a ring, but it doesn't seem like you can get that ring with only one. I know Shaq wouldn't win on the Lakers if he and Kobe switched places. The Lakers just don't have that second great player. The Heat did last year. Kobe got what he wanted (he's the only one in the spotlight), but because of that, he didn't get what he wanted (another championship). Is it entirely his fault? Probably not; he's not totally responsible for the players around him. But he is responsible for not having at least one other great player there.

Omygod! We might've met! :eek:

I played in that league - I was the one with the big bells.

I had to retire because I kept running out of good partners.

Avery Johnson should get fired????? I can call you Fanboy now....

I guess its HIS fault that Dirk doesn't have that competitive fire that Jordan, Kobe, Bird, Magic had/have. He mailed it in after game 4 and game 5 was a fluke.

Its his fault that Golden State has MORE athletic players on the court who cal all dribble/shoot/and are lighting fast. The mavs dont have that big man like Biedrins/Pietrus/Harrington who are just athletic. Dirk yes but Diop no and they couldnt go with another small guy because then one of the warriors bigs would just kill them in the post.

Oh yeah -- the Warriors were on fire.....thats Avery's fault

Baron when healthy is one of the 10 if not 5 best in the league -- he can straight up get to the bucket
Richardson is a beast -- especially from outside -- OH and the guy can JAM
Jackson -- plays very hardnosed defense and is a good offensive option -- OH and he hit what like 7 3's
Harrington/Barnes/Pietrus/Biedrins -- 4 athletic big men who can cut/jump/rebound/shoot

OH and they like to run -- no matter how Dallas tried to slow the game down the Warriors wouldnt let them. they played a viscious zone and kept pushing the pace.

Avery cannot teach a team hunger.

I think I disagree. The Warriors beat the Mavs all 3 times they met in the regular season. This wasn't a fluke or simply a "hot" team. The Warriors simply match up great with Dallas. Dallas was built by the Warriors' head coach. The Dallas head coach was trained by the Warriors' head coach. The front office decisions for Dallas are currently being made by the son of the Warriors' head coach.

Think the Warriors might have had some inside information on how to exploit the Mavs' weaknesses?

And yet, the Warriors finished 8th in the conference for a reason. They're not that good. They just happen to match up very well with Dallas. I'm not calling for the coach's head, but there has to have been more that he could've done to adjust. Not a good coaching job in this series, IMO. He got outcoached by his mentor.

This is all true, and so is the stuff in your previous post...however, one of the reasons GS finished 8th and barely made the play-offs (had to win final game of season to get in) is that Baron Davis missed a bunch of games due to injuries (I think he missed 30)...that would put a crimp in their won-loss record...and GS IS hot right now - even tho they beat Dallas in the regular season, they did not manhandle them the way they did in several games in this series...

not just baron but also J-Rich was injured for a good portion.

plus they didnt get stephen "im a thug" jackson and al harrington until mid season.


i would say they were the hottest team going into the playoffs.

And how is he responsible for that? Are you talking about Shaq being that other player? He (Shaq) had his opportunity to be the other great player and he got fat! Even last season he was working his way into basketball shape right before the playoffs - that is idiotic.
The Heat did have two great players Wade and Mourning. Kobe was pissed because Shaq wasn't preparing to win. Can you blame him?

I don't watch much NBA anymore, but I was just reading that Stephen Jackson was thrown out of 2 games this series and was still able to play in game 6? Is that correct? How bad does a player have to be before he's really gone? It just kind of underlines why I won't watch that league.

1) Ask Joey Crawford.....:D

2) You ain't the only one. Call me when the NBA can beat Spain, Argentina, Italy, Puerto Rico, Greece, etc., all the countries that have beaten them in the last few years.

The thing that is worse than not being able to beat other countries is the fact that they (NBA players) still walk around with that swagger (some of them) like they are invincible.
How can you be considered the best in the world when you can only win in your league, with your rules and your officials? It is still basketball.

I think that is a completely different situation. If the best players actually decided to play in the international games, I would agree with you. The last several times the USA did not put their very best on the court. Many of the players were journey man players or one time All-Stars. Lamar Odom has not done much of anything in his career, but he was on the USA team a few years ago. Other countries put their best players on the court all the time. Frankly, when the USA decides to care then this might be an issue.

Peace

Are you serious? In the 2004 Olympics, the USA started Tim Duncan, Allan Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James and Dwayne Wade. They brought Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion off the bench. If those are journeymen, then the NBA must have one helluva lot of great players that I've never heard of. All that got them was third place and losses to Puerto Rico, Lithuania and Argentina.

In 2004 Shaq and Kobe played for the NBA Finals that year and were not on the USA team for the World Championships (they did not commit at all to the team anyway). Carmelo Anthony was a very new player and hardly played. Lebron hardly played and had similar NBA experience as Melo. Carlos Boozer has improved greatly since then and was not the player he is right now. The same could be said for Shawn Marion at that time. Also keep in mind that many of the players on that team played similar positions and they had almost no pure shooters on that team either. If memory serves me, right Ray Allen was left off the team and he was not only an All-Star but one of the best shooters in the USA (I will have to look this up).

My point is this was not the Dream Team by any stretch. Yes you had some All-Stars, but there were players on the team that hardly started on their NBA team. Or some of the players had marginal careers. And Gilbert Arenas was also left off the team and he is one of the most popular players today but was even at that time not very well thought of.

Peace

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I was polishing my darts.

I don't think I'm any more than a casual NBA fan, so I don't know all the specific dynamics that went on between Shaq and Kobe. The impression I had was Kobe didn't want Shaq there, so Shaq found another team that did want him. Was it because he had grown lazy? Could be. Was it because Kobe wanted more limelight? That's my impression.

Since then, the results say: Shaq has another ring, Kobe has yet to win another post-season series. Again, just a (barely) casual fan's impression.

Now, where did I put my monogrammed blindfold?...

That was my impression as well. I really liked that team and every time Kobe would open his mouth it was as if he felt he deserved more credit for what the team did. Say what you want to about Shaq, but he makes other players better and when he went to Miami, he gave all the praise and responsibility to Wade. When Shaq was with the Lakers he would talk about how Kobe is the best player in the NBA. Kobe never seemed to humble himself enough (at least in interviews) to be satisfied that he was apart of a group that was successful rather than trying to make it seem like no one was giving him credit.

Peace

tomegun, you have defended Kobe vigorously in the past also, which sends the clear impression that you are a Kobe fan. That's great, but even a Kobe fan should remember that it was Kobe who had all the interviews where he blasted away at Shaq and other players on the Lakers at that time, and it was Kobe who made statements about wanting the ball more and comparing himself to Jordan, etc., etc...my memory may be faulty at times, but that's certainly the way I remember it going down.
So Kobe did play a role in Shaq leaving, and the Lakers have gone downhill since then...one of the main reasons that they don't have that second "weapon" is because it seems that very few of the stars want to play with Kobe after all of that happened in the past.

I do not think it even matters who wants to play with Kobe. There are not many Shaqs running around in the NBA to be such a force in the middle. He pushed away one of the great players that can defend and score in the middle. Ben Wallace who is a great defensive player cannot even help out on the offensive end with that kind of frequency. When Wallace was with the Pistons, he was about the only starter on that team that was not an offensive threat. You need more than one man teams in the game of basketball. Even Jordan has a few players that could step up when he was not completely on.

Peace

Agreed....

No, but I can see where you would get that impression. Since 1979 I have been a Laker fan first and foremost. If Kobe left today he would be public enemy #1. Do I think Kobe is perfect? NO! I think Kobe makes the game harder than it has to be. I think Kobe has done some really punk things in the past. However, besides being the jolly giant, Shaq was to blame also. If casual observers can't see that, look harder. Why is he still working his way into shape right before the playoffs? Why would he wait until September to get surgery on a toe that could have been operated on in June or July? For all Shaq has done good, any basketball fan should be able to see that he hasn't taken advantage of his God-given talent. THAT, is the #1 thing Kobe had a beef with. With all of Kobe's faults - he has many to me - he is still the best player in the world right now.
I can't address them all, but some of you guys have made some observations that I agree with, in part at least. I will leave with this question.

Should Avery Johnson be fired? After the finals last year and the first round this year, I say yes.

Should he be fired? I'm not sure. Will he be fired? Most likely. After what is being called the worst playoff loss in history, #8 beating #1, something has got to happen. Isn't the coach usually the first to go? What are the odds the owner will get fired instead? (Insert tongue-in-cheek smilie here.)

It's not the first time a #8 has beaten a #1 (Dikembe's Nuggets did it to the Sonics and the Knicks actually made the Finals as an 8-seed in '94, I think); but it's the first time it's happened in a 7-game series.

And I don't even think it's the worst loss in playoff history, to be honest, for all the reasons that I mentioned in a previous post. They played the Mavs great all season. It wasn't a lucky fluke; it was just a really bad match-up for the Mavs.

It's also the first time a team with that many regular season wins has lost in the first round.

Not that I'm paying attention or anything.

I fear the Bulls. :cool:

"Bulls forward Luol Deng won the NBA's sportsmanship award Thursday...." - http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baske...ip-award_N.htm

That would be a knee-jerk reaction. I think everyone in the Dallas camp needs to step back and re-evaluate how they are going to move forward.

To me, the coaches don't win or lose games, the players do. However, they got handled pretty good, in fact too good. In a 7 game series and you are the more dominate team with home field advantage, that should not happen. Firing the coach will not improve your chances of winning next year with the same players, and you can not play a regular season any better than they did this year.

Firing the coach might mean you don't even make the playoff's next year, because we seem how these players truly play, which is a compliment to Avery that they won so many games this year. With that being said, something got to go. A major wheel is got to be replaced and they usually start with the management. What I don't understand, is what the hell happen to the Dallas defense.

Well, the Warriors beat 'em 7-2 this year, I think.
Sometimes one team just owns another team.

Bulls beat the Pistons 3 of 4. In the game the Pistons won, unlike the 3 losses, the Pistons played all 5 starters.

Raps lose by 1 at the buzzer. An entry pass to CB4 is intercepted. CB would have had time to dunk it for the win. Oh well.

Good job guys! Roster, coaches, and GM!

I was pulling for you guys. You really got jobbed by Vince Carter. I would've loved to see you get some revenge.