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NBA 2009-10 Regular Season Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

Ockeghem

Ockeghem
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I think the NBA champion will come from the Boston - Cleveland series. But I'm not ready to concede that series to the Cavaliers just yet. Both teams won on each others' court this year, and Cleveland has yet to get over this particular hump.

In the other East matchup, and assuming that Atlanta does get there, I don't see how the Hawks can defeat the Magic. The Magic are looking both hungry and ready to try and take last year's failure to the next level. But I think that the Celtics can defeat Orlando in a seven game series, so I don't see the Magic going all the way this year.
 

Ockeghem

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An interesting story on the 2009-2010 Celtics team and the 1968-1969 Celtics team. As I mentioned previously, I'd love for history to repeat itself, even if history is not on their side. ;)

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/columns/story?columnist=forsberg_chris&id=5156726
 

Walter C

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Boy, did the Hawks just rolled over and played dead or what? It's hard to believe that they did not bother to show up in the 2nd round, for the 2nd year in a row.
 

Ockeghem

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^^^


Yeah, I thought they'd give Orlando a series. I didn't really care who won, since Boston is a combined 1-7 against the two teams this year.


I'm starting to think now that this year's conference finals is going to be nearly a carbon copy of what occurred last year. For example, before the Lakers - Jazz series began, I told my son, "Utah's season is over." I may as well say it now: Phoenix's season is over. They may be good, but they are not great. And to defeat the Lakers in a seven-game series, you cannot simply be 'good.' Phoenix is finished.


As far as the East is concerned, I think this is a bit more difficult to predict as far as who will get to the Final. I think that Boston, should they get by Cleveland, could give Orlando a series. And I think that they (Boston) could defeat the Magic. If Cleveland manages to get by Boston, I do not believe that the Cavaliers can defeat Orlando (just like last year's forgettable performance) in a seven-game series. They have not looked all that impressive against the Celtics, and I don't think that they have the necessary tools to defeat a highly motivated Orlando team right now.


I have also given more thought to my statement regarding the winner of the Boston - Cleveland series taking it all. If Orlando manages to get to the final, I believe that like last year, they will have another meltdown. Their three-ball (living and dying by it as they often do) will IMO again be their downfall. I also don't believe that this year's Magic (minus Turkoglu) team matches up all that well with the Lakers. I think a Laker - Magic final has L.A. winning the series in five games. I do think that Cleveland and Boston could defeat the Lakers, but to do that, they'd have to play them, and I'm not that confident that either team is going to get the chance this year. Tonight's game six in Cleveland will tell me quite a bit about who will most likely end up facing the Lakers in the Final.
 

Patrick Sun

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The Hawks simply don't match up well against the Magic, and they got pummeled hard in their series. Plus, it didn't help with Josh Smith losing a few years of maturity with his game play and overall attitude.
 

Ockeghem

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Well, that certainly was an interesting game last night between the Celtics and the Cavaliers. I expected Boston to win by thirty points, but thirty-two? I never expected that. Game six should be quite intense.


Isn't it interesting too that both teams (games three and five, respectively) handed the other franchise their worst home playoff loss in history?
 

Walter C

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Perhaps the coaching move is a step towards trying to keep James in Cleveland.


I did catch the waning minutes of the game last night, and man, that was pathetic to see the Cavs quit like that. And the game was close at that point.
 

Ockeghem

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Walter,


I jumped the gun a bit, relying on an ESPN report. As you've probably heard by now, the Cavaliers are 'evaluating' Mike Brown (and the current situation of the team). As of right now, he is still the coach of the Cavaliers.
 

Ockeghem

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[SIZE= 14px]That was a good win for the Celtics yesterday against the Magic. Boston lead for the entire game, which was nice. And when the Celtics went up by twenty points in the second half, I was pushing for a lead of thirty, since Orlando can get themselves back into a game rather quickly when their three ball is on. Thankfully, today their three ball was not too impressive (they were 0/9 in the first half from beyond the arc, and 5/22 in the game). But I look for that to improve.[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 14px] [/SIZE]

[SIZE= 14px]Sheed has begun to earn his pay in the playoffs. His defense has been pesky, and more than this, his way of annoying key opponents (like Howard today) has frustrated players on a couple of teams. But what I really like is seeing him play a bit more at the post. And as a bonus, he's had a couple of recent games (against Cleveland and Orlando, respectively) in which he has made some killer three-pointers (two in each game) that have occurred at points where Boston has desperately needed them. He has had his share of misses as well, but I've not minded these as I think he needs to keep shooting these when the opportunity arises.[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 14px] [/SIZE]

[SIZE= 14px]After the Celtics defeated Cleveland, my son asked me how I thought Boston would do in this series. I told them I thought Boston would defeat Orlando in six games. Truth be told, I thought Boston would lose game one, but then bounce back to take four of the next five (as they did against Cleveland). Orlando should take game two, and there still could be a split in Boston (24-17 this year, a record which is borderline horrendous for them at home when they are having a relatively good year otherwise). The Celtics were tied with the Cavaliers for the best road record in the East, which tells me that they are getting it done where it matters most. Since they are the fourth seed (and will not have home court in any of the potential remaining playoff series against Orlando, Phoenix, or Los Angeles), they will need to play very well on the road. Their three straight playoff road wins against two of the three best teams in the NBA is something I am savoring.[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 14px] [/SIZE]

[SIZE= 14px]Side note: We are a little bit closer to Kobe getting the Finals rematch that he has been waiting for since that thirty-nine point drubbing in game six of the NBA Finals nearly two years ago at the hands of the Celtics. The way Boston has been playing lately, I do hope that they get to play the Lakers in this year's NBA Finals.[/SIZE]
 

Ockeghem

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Another good win by the Celtics last night. When they were trailing 91-90 with around 3:00 left, I felt very good about their chances of going up 2-0 against Orlando. This team is hitting on all cylinders at the moment. I really am hoping that they meet the Lakers in the NBA Finals. It could be a Finals for the ages. And if Boston should lose to Los Angeles, then maybe the 'Big Four' would stay around one more year to play the rubber series of the match. ;)


I've been following the Celtics for more than forty years. I didn't realize that until last night, Boston had never won the opening two playoff games of any series on the road before. They are playing very well on the road. They have thus far eliminated the no. 1 seed (Cleveland), and may eliminate the no. 2 seed (Orlando). And if they get that far, they would have to defeat the no. 3 seed (Los Angeles) in the Finals. Their road to the Finals is easily the toughest of any team thus far, and that is as it should be. And having five consecutive wins against Cleveland and Orlando combined is quite a feat by any team.


Go Celtics!
 

tyler payne

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As a Laker fan, I would love to see a Celtic/Laker match-up in the finals. However, I also thought that the Celtics were the one team that could really give LA trouble. With Cleveland, if you can play good "D" against James without double teaming him, you can shut down their offense. Same thing with Orlando. If you can guard Howard one on one, it makes it harder to kick the ball out of the paint for the other guys on the Magic to nail 3-pointers, and Orlando lives and dies with the 3-point shot.


Celtics are just a great team. They play great team defense, and their offense does not rely one one person doing all the scoring. I think the key to disrupting the Celtics offense is getting the ball out of Rondos hands. Bostons offense becomes stagnant when Rondo can't drive the lane and make the defense collapse. But with Rondos speed, keeping him out of the lane is easier said than done.


Interesting point, as of right now the finals are set to start on June 3rd, but the NBA announced that if both conference finals go five games or less, they could move the date of the finals to June 1st. Not to insult Magic or Suns fans, but I really hope both Boston and LA finish of these series quickly. As much as I love the NBA, my one complaint is that the post-season drags on forever.


tyler
 

Ockeghem

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^^^


I think it would be a wonderful Finals, and I hope it happens. And seeing as I have been making comparisons with the 2010 Celtics team to the 1969 Celtics team, it's particularly appropriate that such a series would open in Los Angeles.


"As much as I love the NBA, my one complaint is that the post-season drags on forever."


I agree. This dragging on seems to permeate just about all of the major sports these days.
 

tyler payne

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Well, it lloks like my hope of a earlier start date for the finals is gone with Phoenix winning game 4. And the confidence I had in an "easy" series vs. the Suns is gone as well. As well as Phoenix plays at home, I really thought that LA would steal one on the road. Oh well, back to LA where hopefully the Lakers get back on track. As much as I want a LA vs Boston final, I hope Orlando can pull out another win. Boston is just too damn dangerous if some of their older players have a week off to rest up and deal with the bumps and bruises that slow players down this time of year.


tyler
 

Ockeghem

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^^^


I think that Orlando will win tonight, and that the Celtics will close the series out in Boston. I picked the Celtics in six games before the series started, although I thought Boston would split in Orlando and take care of business (rather than split) at home. Still, a 3-1 lead is quite good. Boston could close it out tonight, which would be fine with me, obviously. They could do it. When the Celtics lose a game these days, it seems to motivate them all the more in the next game. They haven't dropped consecutive games thus far in the playoffs (Miami, Cleveland, or Orlando).


BTW, I can't envision a Phoenix - Boston NBA Finals. But, there must be some NBA fans here who remember the 1976 Finals quite well. I have much of that series on DVD, including game five, one of the greatest --if not the greatest -- games ever played in an NBA finals. I was graduating from High School the year the Celtics won that game in triple overtime. Such a great memory for me. {BTW, I had forgotten that on their way to the Finals that year, the Celtics also defeated the Cavaliers, four games to two.}


http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1976.html


Go Celtics!
 

Ockeghem

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Has anyone here who loves the NBA thought that Phoenix could possibly win the next two games against the Lakers?
 

Ockeghem

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That was an impressive game one win by the Lakers last night. They made it look quite easy against Boston. I think the Celtics will play a bit better in game two. The Celtics cannot win (or rarely win) when they give up that many points (102). Truth be told, the score in the early going was looking like it was going in Boston's favor (88 ppg. for the Lakers). But that mini-run at the end of the first quarter, and the excellent play of Brown and Gasol (and to some extent, Artest) in the second quarter really gave the Lakers the boost they needed to secure the win.


This is a difficult series for me to gauge. In 2008, it was a tad easier. If Boston held home court and won one in L.A., the series was all but over, and as it turns out, it was. But this year, with the Lakers holding home court, that may make all the difference. I don't know who will win it, even though most experts that I have read are picking Los Angeles. I picked Boston to win it in six games before the series started, and I will stick with that. :)


If this series is anything like 1969, then Boston will find itself in an 0-2 hole after Sunday's game. ;)


Go Celtics!
 

Ockeghem

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That was a good win for Boston last night. As wonderful as Allen's NBA record is, Rondo's triple-double was at least as equally great. And what is becoming something not all that rare in this year's playoffs, Rondo again led all players in rebounding. His block of Fisher's shot, and his steal of Bryant (I don't think Bryant had any idea that Rondo was even there) were both timely and game-saving, IMO. And Garnett had a key basket in the closing minutes as well. That's two games in which foul trouble has created huge difficulties for both teams.


The Celtics hit some key jumpers (including the one by Rondo when Boston maintained possession of the ball three times instead of one during one trip down the court) and really took care of the ball in the second half (two turnovers). The Lakers, on the other hand, had eight missed shots and three turnovers with under 5:00 remaining. And I can't recall the last time Bryant missed two shots in succession, much less an eight-foot shot when it mattered. But I do remember Allen missing a shot in the waning seconds during the regular season contest in Boston that (had he not missed) would have given Boston the win. Now it's on to Boston. It should be quite interesting.


Go Celtics!
 

Ockeghem

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I'm obviously quite pleased with the result of yesterday's game. Whenever the Celtics hold their opponent under 90 points, I'm fairly confident that they are going to win the game. Thus far in this year's playoffs, the Celtics have won three straight games against each of their first three opponents (Miami, Cleveland, and Orlando). I'm hoping that this trend continues on Tuesday evening. I would rather not see a game seven, since I can't resurrect the ghosts of 1969 (although I would if I could). ;)


As good as Kobe Bryant is, I would take Paul Pierce over him (for a variety of reasons) in a heartbeat. To Bryant's credit, he isn't putting any of the blame on his teammates, although he probably could do this given how some of them have performed recently. As for Pierce, he really does step it up when it seems to be needed most by the Celtics.


My dream ending? The Lakers are up in game six by two points with about five seconds remaining, and Ray Allen makes the game-winning (and NBA Championship-winning) three-point shot. :)
 

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