2005-06 NBA Season Discussion (1 Viewer)

[Casey Trowbridg]

Let me toss in my picks and then its back to complaining about what stupid things the Raiders are gonna do in the NFL draft...what do you mean NBA playoffs?

Anyway, Detroit, Miami and New Jersey all seem to have a pretty easy path to the second round. Milwaukee, Chicago and Indiana do nothing for me. Washington and Cleveland is the only compelling first round matchup in the first round in the East. I don't see a Washington victory.

So, Detroit Vs. Cleveland and Miami Vs. New Jersey.

Out West, San Antonio should handle Sacramento, Dallas should beat Memphis setting up the second round matchup people want to see. The Clippers will beat TM, Chris Farmer and I have Kobe taking control of the Phoenix series setting up an all L.A. second round Clippers/Lakers.

At this point I like Detroit over Cleveland and I'm kinda leaning towards Jersey over the Heat. I like Lakers over Clippers out West and I'm going to take Dallas over San Antonio (I do not want to see another Jersey/Spurs or Pistons/Spurs series as long as I live)

Pistons over Nets and Mavericks over Lakers even if Kobe scores a billion points in that series and Pistons over Mavs for the title.

Kobe's the regular season MVP even though I still blame him for the Shaq trade, when I think back on this season in years to come 81 and 62 over 3 quarters will stand out. The Lakers wouldn't be able to spell playoffs without Kobe let alone play in them. I hear the Billips talk but take him off the Pistons and replace him with a guy of lesser talent but similar skills and they still have a pretty damn good starting 5.

 

[Lew Crippen]

If that is the criteria, I’d suggest that the Suns would be even worse (this year) without Steve Nash.

And where would Dallas be without Dirk?

But regardless of the MVP award, I’m getting ready for many hours of roundball this weekend.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I hope Kobe doesn't win the MVP award, but he probably will. I don't think a player should be rewarded for such selfish play. Does Bryant even look at his teammates any more when he has the ball? Kobe doesn't know how to spell P-A-S-S. He's the league's leading "black hole"... the ball goes in, but it never comes out. Past "black hole" awards include Bob McAdoo, Kelly Tripucka, Jerry Stackhouse (in his Pistons days), and Dominique Wilkins.

 

[mattCR]

Great opening night to the playoffs.

Lebron dominates and does something undone since Magic - a triple double in his first playoff experience.

San Antonio makes others wonder why they bothered to play. A 30+ point win in the playoffs? Check.

 

[Hunter P]

Man, Mike Bibby single-handedly lost game 2 for the Kings. Not only did he somehow, amazingly lose his man for a three pointer, but he also forgot how to dribble in overtime. Amazing. Even if the Kings didn't win the series, it would have been nice to have that one game considering the circumstances.

As much as I hate the Lakers, :p , I am kinda hoping for a Clipper vs Lakers series. If the Clippers want to be the bid dogs in town then this is the perfect way to do it. Time to see if they are up to the challenge.

None of the Eastern Conf matchups right now have my attention. Maybe the second round will have potential for drama.

 

[Lew Crippen]

A Staples Center series has a lot of appeal.

The inequity in the West allows an easy path to the finals for teams that are not Memphis or the Kings (very tough luck for Grizzlies to get Dallas in the first round, after working their way to the 4th best record in the conference).

After everyone has played two games, the 60-game teams (Pistons, Spus & Mavs), still look like the teams to beat.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Apparently there has been a source leak, and the news is that Nash will win the MVP.

Nash is the only Pheonix player who played well in both games, but he cannot play the entire game. He averaged 35.5 minutes a game. In comparison, Jackson seems to basically put Kobe out there the entire game. The big difference has to be the Odom - Marion matchup though. Odom is playing the best ball of his season and Marion has been a non-factor.

A Staples Center series would not just be favorable for the teams to advance to the WCF, but also give them a potential advantage in the WCF because the two teams would play at home, while the Big Two duke it out in a long series.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I do not see that being enough of an advantage for either LA team to beat the winner of the inevitable San Antonio vs. Dallas series. Those two teams are much better than any other team in the West, including Phoenix. It's too bad that the NBA's current seeding system will prevent the Spurs and Mavs from meeting in the conference finals, where they both belong.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Oh, I agree, I don't expect them to win against either of the Texas teams. Just that it would give them a slightly better chance to do so.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Three great basketball games tonight. Sacramento was in danger of losing another game that they led for most of the time. But Ginoboli mishandles the ball, and it comes down to a last second Martin layup over Duncan. The Kings have played well in game 2 and 3 after that first game embarrassment.

The Lakers crowd was chanting "Kwame, Kwame, Kwame!" Kwame and Odom once again dominated the middle and boards, and the Lakers showed some nice ball movement.

So much for studying for finals.

 

[Jan H]

Man, this has been one dormant thread!

Some playoff thoughts (because it may be the last post ever on this thread!):

Shaq made an unwise choice in moving on to Miami.
Ditto that for Larry Brown in New York.
LeBron is amazing.
Lamar Odom is better than I thought.
So are the Lakers.
That Phil Jackson guy can coach just a little bit.
Kobe Bryant is the best player in the league.
An all-LA second round matchup would be beautiful.
The Pistons will win the NBA championship.

 

[Haggai]

LeBron took a few extra steps on that last drive last night, but the finish sure was impressive. The man-to-man duel with Gilbert down the stretch was great, and it is pretty amazing that the Cavs pulled it out, considering how little help LeBron was getting on offense. Hughes sure did fuck that defense up on the last play, but Gilbert just couldn't get that one last shot to fall, in spite of having hit a lot of big ones already in the 4th.

SA is looking a little discombobulated...Duncan finally had a dominant game, and Finley was both productive and clutch, but Ginobili struggled, and Parker got badly outplayed by Bibby. I wasn't sure the Kings were doing the right thing by not fouling on that last SA possession, since the shot/game clock difference was only about 3 seconds, but it certainly worked out OK for them.

The Lakers are looking good, I've got to hand it to them. Even though Phoenix is displaying very little heart, Phil's recognition of the Suns' inability to guard anyone (plus his convincing Kobe of that fact) has helped everyone else on the Lakers to get involved.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Nuts, nuts I say. Lakers-Suns game 4 was one of the craziest games of the season. Twice it looked like the Suns would win it, twice Nash loses the possession, and twice Kobe hits a big shot.

Two more combined wins until the Clippers play a seven game series on the road in LA.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Interesting interpretation of the word "choice".

 

[Brandon_T]

It's amazing how close most of the playoffs are. Will Phil Jackson keep his streak of never losing in the first round alive? Could you guys even imagine the Clippers in the WCF. Going into the playoffs I was mostly worried about the Nets in the East as a problem for the Pistons, now I am not so sure there is a problem for them. Look for the Pistons to come back strong against the Bucks tonight and close out the series the next game.

The SA and SAC series is very very interesting. I think SA could be in trouble this playoffs, if not this series then the next. Best early round playoff action in quite a few years.

 

[Hunter P]

Another golden opportunity missed by the Kings. I knew the Kings had no chance after they came back from the timeout with three minutes to go and the game tied.

To back up a bit, I told everyone in the room at the end of the third that Sac still had a chance to win the game even though they were currently down by 12 points. Well, they had a chance with one condition: if Brad Miller is benched for the entire fourth quarter. I was giddy when they started the fourth without him on the floor.

Everything I had hoped to happen was happening. The Kings clawed their way back into a tie with three minutes left. Then the worst thing possible happened. Adelman decided to sit their best post defender, Shareef, and put in Mr. no-heart, no-effort, no-vertical, "I'm only an All Star because all the good 7 footers play power forward" Brad Miller.

Now it was the Spurs' turn to get giddy. The promptly went to Duncan for some easy, uncontested 2 footers. Then people start driving the lane and Brad watches them go by. It's really amazing how little pride he has as people use and abuse him. You would figure he would do something about it. Maybe break a sweat or even use one of his 6 fouls. I've watched almost every game of the Brad Miller era and I don't recall him ever fouling out.

We are still trying to figure out why Adelman decided to sit Shareef at the 3 minute mark. If you're gonna lose then please make sure it is from trying your heart out.


Anyway, regarding the Raja Bell foul, if he was gonna do something like that he shoulda done it on the next play after he got elbowed by Kobe. He waited almost a whole quarter to do it. I think that may play a factor with the league since he had time to think about it. Both the Suns and Lakers have said they hope he doesn't get suspended.

 

[Lew Crippen]

The Spurs/Kings series is great for the Mavs who took care of business and now get a bit of a rest (a good thing with three injured players and a couple of more with slight problems).

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Bell has been suspended for one game. In the AP report, things have gotten pretty nasty. Bell makes several personal remarks about Bryant, and Nash claims that Bryant has gotten away with a lot of calls. The thing is, I think most people agree that Kobe elbowed Bell, but it did not look intentional. He was carrying the ball up, and his elbow incidentally hit Bell. This wasn't even in the territory of Karl Malone's signature "I may not be trying to hit you, but my elbows and knees are flying" moves.

Hunter, what are people around Sac saying about Addelman these days? Gone or coming back? Want him to come back?

 

[Hunter P]

I think his approval rating is about 50% right now. Even his critics admit though that there is no better coach available right now unless the Kings want to go for an unproven coach.

I personally would like to roll the dice and get someone else in. Adelman is in the same category as a few coaches (like Don Nelson) in the league who can only get your team so far but not all the way in the playoffs. But he and the GM Jeff Petrie are very tight. They have been together for many many years so I doubt Petrie will ever fire him.


Tomorrow, I'm going to be rooting for the Suns as hard as I rooted for the Kings last night. I so want to see Bell and Kobe hook up for another game this season.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Hunter even though you said your pulling for the Suns in the next game and I'm a Lakers fan I just have to say that anybody that quotes Pete and Pete in their signature is cool with me.