Magic in 6
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
I also think Orlando will beat LA in six.
Dwight Howard is a fucking G!
I think the comparisons to David Robinson are 100% legit.[/quote]
I like Howard, but he’s no Robinson. He’s fortunate enough to play in this era where’s one of the only true centers left. He’s got a killer off hand and he’s obviously an athletic freak for his size, but if he played in the mid 90’s his numbers would be a fraction of what they are today.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
PonceDeLeon wrote:
I also think Orlando will beat LA in six.
Dwight Howard is a fucking G!
I think the comparisons to David Robinson are 100% legit.
I like Howard, but he’s no Robinson. He’s fortunate enough to play in this era where’s one of the only true centers left. He’s got a killer off hand and he’s obviously an athletic freak for his size, but if he played in the mid 90’s his numbers would be a fraction of what they are today.[/quote]
I completely agree. the 90’s Jordan rules would have left him on the ground crying. I’d love to see him go up against the front court of some of those 90s knicks, bulls or pistons teams.
I think that one of the reasons the Magic beat the Cavs, besides match-up issues(which is kind of a cop-out in a 7 game series) is because they basically let Lebron have his way. Sure they doubled him a bit, but not nearly as much as Kobe is doubled by just about everyone, always. They spent their efforts on guys like Verajao, Mo Williams and Big Z. Getting them into foul trouble, frustrating their shots and insuring that they could not back-up Lebron’s firestorms.
I expect that they will try something similar with the Lakers. Allow Kobe to get away with perhaps more open looks than he is used to, and focus their efforts on shutting down the help. It should be interesting if that happens because Kobe is(like Lebron) the type of guy who will get hot and start taking more shots because of it. They’re both excellent passers, but not so much when they are shooting really well.
I think that Gasol and Bynum combined will be able to out-rebound, Dwight, which is what matters more than preventing him from scoring. At least, I hope so. The Lakers WERE one of the top rebounding teams in the league in the regular season, the Nuggets made them look astonishingly ordinary in that department…
Okay Sasha Fucking Machine Vujajic, I’m calling you out. Your bullshit shots have clanked all season long. You were an assassin last year, what the fuck happened? You only have 4 more games to win, 4 games, that’s it. Make your shots, fucker.
I do not expect the Turk to be as effective against LA as he was against CLE. Lakers are too long and too versatile of defenders(which is not to say they’re the best defenders, just that they have a lot of guys who can guard a lot of positions pretty well).
Can’t wait!
[quote]Malevolence wrote:
I think that one of the reasons the Magic beat the Cavs, besides match-up issues(which is kind of a cop-out in a 7 game series) is because they basically let Lebron have his way. Sure they doubled him a bit, but not nearly as much as Kobe is doubled by just about everyone, always. They spent their efforts on guys like Verajao, Mo Williams and Big Z. Getting them into foul trouble, frustrating their shots and insuring that they could not back-up Lebron’s firestorms.
I expect that they will try something similar with the Lakers. Allow Kobe to get away with perhaps more open looks than he is used to, and focus their efforts on shutting down the help. It should be interesting if that happens because Kobe is(like Lebron) the type of guy who will get hot and start taking more shots because of it. They’re both excellent passers, but not so much when they are shooting really well.
I think that Gasol and Bynum combined will be able to out-rebound, Dwight, which is what matters more than preventing him from scoring. At least, I hope so. The Lakers WERE one of the top rebounding teams in the league in the regular season, the Nuggets made them look astonishingly ordinary in that department…
Okay Sasha Fucking Machine Vujajic, I’m calling you out. Your bullshit shots have clanked all season long. You were an assassin last year, what the fuck happened? You only have 4 more games to win, 4 games, that’s it. Make your shots, fucker.
I do not expect the Turk to be as effective against LA as he was against CLE. Lakers are too long and too versatile of defenders(which is not to say they’re the best defenders, just that they have a lot of guys who can guard a lot of positions pretty well).
Can’t wait! [/quote]
Don’t know if I agree, 'cause Kobe’s not like LeBron. He doesn’t get “hot”, he has the ability to outscore entire teams by himself, and if you let him get in a zone he can do things no one else in the history of the game can. Just 'cause he hasn’t shown it in a couple of years doesn’t mean it isn’t there, and I’d bet if that’s what it takes to pull out a “W” he’s got it in him. Not saying he will, but I don’t know if the Magic really want to test that.
Since my last prediction of Lakers over Nuggets in 6 came true, I’m gonna say Lakers in 6 vs Magic as well, book it. My opinion on the Magic…I think the Magic have a similar style of play to the Nuggets, except the Nuggets are better than them. Nuggets have more options in the low post (Howard vs Nene + Kmart + Melo), and also more ppl to drive into the lane (Turk vs JR Smith + Billups + Melo). Magic are a greater 3 point threat, so I think them winning rides on how effective they can be beyond the three. They lost a great offensive and defensive threat in Jameer Nelson, and I don’t think Magic can win a 7 game series without him.
The Lakers have too many options outside of Kobe. I think the series will be decided by which team’s bench shows up and defense. All in all, Lakers have more options than the Magic do. Howard will be a beast, and Lakers might be better off if they dont focus on containing him but rather the 4 outside shooters. Lakers have too many options when it comes to offense, very unpredictable. Kobe should look to pass the ball alot more, but go into shooting mode if the rest of the team is off.
Another thing, I think the game will also be decided by rebounds. Howard vs Bynum + Gasol. Usually, Offensive rebounds usually results in a kickout to the perimeter and a 3. If Lakers can limit that, then they should be good. Magic need to play near perfect defense to shut down Lakers offense on a decent effort. If they can (and if the Lakers go back to being bipolar), then Magic win. The Magic CAN play defense, we’ve seen it throughout the regular season and vs the Cavs.
If Lee, Alston, Lewis, Pietrus and Turkoglu start shooting 3’s like against Cavs (game 6 e.g.) it’s gonna be interesting…
I know David Stern, the NBA, Nike, ABC/ESPN are all heartbroken that they are not getting the Kobe vs. LeBron finals, but hey as a local writer said the silver lining is that this Finals matchup is prima facie ironclad evidence that the NBA does not “fix” games.
A few thoughts:
I like tGunslinger’s take on things.
The technical/flagrant rules are fine IF the referees call real technicals and flagrants. They have been giving out t’s and flagrants for nothing and then missing big calls. Then the league changes and rescinds fouls after the fact because they want even more control than the refs are already giving, plus the refs suck.
BTW it’s 7 techs for a one game suspension and four flagrant points (flag1=1 point, 2=2 points) for a one-gamer, they are different. I think that when Kobe said he wouldn’t get another tech he didn’t mean he wouldn’t commit one, I think he meant he wouldnâ??t be charged with one. After being tripped he was yelling at the refs for like 3 minutes (don’t blame him) and they didn’t do anything. Any other player does that it’s definitely a tech.
What Bruce Bowen does, YOU can’t see on TV. Still he’s just playing hard, tough old-school defense with a few salty and savvy tricks thrown in. Jones does the same thing, even less so, but the last few years, it has been getting tougher and tougher to play that way, especially against a star. Everything is a foul. The trip was classless, but probably more a mental lapse than venomous.
Denver has plenty to be ashamed of. They couldn’t play tough down the stretch and win winnable games like LA did and they couldn’t make shots down the stretch even when LA gave them a million chances to get back in it (not game 6). They got away from the tactic of having one guy guard Kobe and not leave anyone open, which worked great the first few games when Melo stepped up and played him very tough. When they started double-teaming, Kobe kept finding the open man.
Karl should have realized that a lot sooner and switched back. They should most of all be ashamed of game 6 they played terrible right from the start. Luckily LA played terrible for the first quarter, but after that they warmed up and Denver looked like a down, defeated team. They played minimal defense the entire game, couldn’t hit a shot, made poor decisions and seemed like they didn’t care and were ready to lose. Karl didn’t try to stop runs with time-outs or put the bench guys in early when the starters were stinking it up.
As a Nuggets fan, I was very disappointed with game 6, I don’t know what happened or where they go from here. They are good and have good team chemistry and defense finally, but something is missing. Maybe they just need another year, and a few breaks.
The finals are tough to pick. I would like to see Orlando win but I fear the Lakers are going to be too much. LA has been inconsistent, but they match up good against Orlando’s limited offensive scheme and have more ways to win and control the game, both on offense and defense. They will also probably have a reffing advantage. However, like others stated, I would not be surprised by any outcome.
Here is an excellent article on why the reffing in the NBA sucks and why so many playoff games have been frustrating to watch. He brings up a lot of points I made a few weeks ago that apparently went unnoticed.
[quote]Sgt. Hartman wrote:
BTW it’s 7 techs for a one game suspension and four flagrant points (flag1=1 point, 2=2 points) for a one-gamer, they are different. I think that when Kobe said he wouldn’t get another tech he didn’t mean he wouldn’t commit one, I think he meant he wouldnâ??t be charged with one. After being tripped he was yelling at the refs for like 3 minutes (don’t blame him) and they didn’t do anything. Any other player does that it’s definitely a tech.
[/quote]
I’m sorry, but this is ridiculous. Even if they T’d Kobe up(for jawing at the refs after they missed the trip) they would have rescinded it the next day after realizing that he had just been tripped, on purpose. Guaranteed. The only situation where Kobe gets a legitimate T out of that altercation is if he went after Jones, which he did not, he hardly even went after the refs, when they told him to shut up, he did. Most times, Refs only give Ts to players if they don’t shut up after being warned.
But that aside, Dahntay jones tripped someone on purpose and wasn’t suspended! talk about your BS calls. It’s one thing that they missed it in the game, it’s another entirely that, upon review, they allowed him to suit up for the next game. Derek fisher was suspended for the cheap shot against Scola. Rightfully so. How was Dahntay Jones’ trip any different?
[quote]deputydawg wrote:
I know David Stern, the NBA, Nike, ABC/ESPN are all heartbroken that they are not getting the Kobe vs. LeBron finals, but hey as a local writer said the silver lining is that this Finals matchup is prima facie ironclad evidence that the NBA does not “fix” games. [/quote]
Agreed. Although I think the accusation levied against the league is less about outright fixing and more about what you might call artificially ‘negotiating’ a series to run 6 or 7 games. Which, I don’t know if I fully buy into, except that there are suspicious things that happen from time to time.
For instance, Rajon Rondo committed, arguably, two flagrant-2s in the Bulls/Celtics series, the first(smacking brad miller in the face) was classified a regular foul, and the second(throwing a player into a table and then throwing a punch at that players head) was called a T, and later upgraded to a Flagrant-1. Rondo could have just as easily been suspended for either or both these events. Players get suspended for much, much less. When things like that happen, it doesn’t really leave much room for doubt that, even if the league isn’t outright fixing games… they are at best, inconsistent with their own regulations, and at worse, actively willing to look the other way when certain teams or players are involved.
But otherwise, I agree. I don’t think the league is fixing games, and they do have issues with their officiating(not the least of which is the fact that most of the officials are on the wrong side of 50)
Alright, game 1 tonight!!! Look forward to a great series. Good luck to both teams.
Malevolence:
No argument from me on the refs. You cite a perfect example of some questionable decisions.
I expected the Lakers to win, I didn’t expect a beatdown like that. Lakers on point and carrying over their performances from games 5-6 of the WCF into the Finals. Kobe was in the zone, and everything was going the Lakers way. I noticed Sasha only got garbage time at the end of the game, don’t know if this was strategy by Phil, matchup issue, etc.
Jameer Nelson coming back to play was interesting. He wasn’t much of a contributor (6 points, 4 dimes), but maybe was trying to provide a spark for the team. Didn’t happen. Also, the Magic shooting 30% from the field isn’t going to win games either.
I think Game 2 will be more competitive, but if the Lakers keep this up, this may be a short series.
[quote]tmoney1 wrote:
I expected the Lakers to win, I didn’t expect a beatdown like that. Lakers on point and carrying over their performances from games 5-6 of the WCF into the Finals. Kobe was in the zone, and everything was going the Lakers way. I noticed Sasha only got garbage time at the end of the game, don’t know if this was strategy by Phil, matchup issue, etc.
Jameer Nelson coming back to play was interesting. He wasn’t much of a contributor (6 points, 4 dimes), but maybe was trying to provide a spark for the team. Didn’t happen. Also, the Magic shooting 30% from the field isn’t going to win games either.
I think Game 2 will be more competitive, but if the Lakers keep this up, this may be a short series.[/quote]
Not saying it did, but Nelson coming back could’ve thrown off Alston’s rhythym. I just don’t understand why you’d fix what isn’t broken. Kobe’s proving over and over that he’s the best player in the L. Still maintain that he’s the best offensive player in NBA history.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Still maintain that he’s the best offensive player in NBA history.[/quote]
More than MJ?
Jordan is the greatest offensive player of all time IMO…
[quote]tmoney1 wrote:
WhiteFlash wrote:
Still maintain that he’s the best offensive player in NBA history.
More than MJ?[/quote]
Yes. Jordan’s the greatest player of all time, but Bryant’s the best scorer the league has ever seen. Kobe’s a better ballhandler, has a better outside shot and a better pull-up off the bounce. He also has a better off hand. Jordan was better in the post and better around the bucket.
One-on-one, there has never been anyone that can do the things Kobe Bryant can do, and no one can get themselves in a zone like Bryant can. His 81 against the Raptors is the most impressive individual performance in pro sports history, and if he had finished the game against Dallas earlier that season [62pts in 34 min, sat out the 4th] it would’ve been his SECOND highest game of that season. Think about that.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
tmoney1 wrote:
WhiteFlash wrote:
Still maintain that he’s the best offensive player in NBA history.
More than MJ?
Yes. Jordan’s the greatest player of all time, but Bryant’s the best scorer the league has ever seen. Kobe’s a better ballhandler, has a better outside shot and a better pull-up off the bounce. He also has a better off hand. Jordan was better in the post and better around the bucket.
One-on-one, there has never been anyone that can do the things Kobe Bryant can do, and no one can get themselves in a zone like Bryant can. His 81 against the Raptors is the most impressive individual performance in pro sports history, and if he had finished the game against Dallas earlier that season [62pts in 34 min] it would’ve been his SECOND highest game of that season. Think about that.[/quote]
Good points you bring up Flash. One thing I like about Kobe is that he developed into a great shooter as he progressed. His first few years he wasn’t even close to being considered the best. When Shaq left LA is when he really started to flourish, around his seventh year. So I applaud him for developing his game to become great.
Imma a magic fan but they cant keep up with the Lakers. Its Kobe, he doesnt need to drive in everytime to be effective like Lebron. He’ll pull up with the J all day. Dwight can destroy Illgauskas and Varejao but he can man handle Gasol and Bynum. Its over in 5.