All purpose NBA thread 07/08

Any team with any concept of team basketball has a shot at beating the US.

 

Thought this would be a good time to revive this thread, days away from the end of the regular season.

I know the Masters will dominate tomorrow, and some people cannot go without baseball on Sunday afternoons, but the Spurs visit the Lakers tomorrow afternoon. Huge, huge game. Spurs trail the Lakers (and the Hornets) by only a half-game for the top spot in the Western Conference.

 

Yeah, as a Lakers fan, I'm hoping they can hold onto the No. 1 seed. If they're in the top half of the bracket (seeds 1 vs. 8 and 4 vs. 5) would be the Lakers, Denver, Houston and Utah. I'd much rather navigate that group than finish No. 2 or 3 and have to deal with (seeds 2 vs. 7 and 3 vs. 6) New Orleans, San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas to get to the Conference Finals.

 

Hornets really blew it last night against the Kings. Houston can actually still win the top seed if they'd win out, but that's doubtful considering they have back-to-back road games against the Nuggets and Jazz. If the Lakers win their last two, and Houston loses one more, Lakers get the top seed. Although with the balance in the West, I don't think the seedings are as important.

 

Get this, there is a scenario in a 3 way tie where the Rockets would win the #1 seed, but the NOH would win the Southwest Division and be seeded #3.

 

If the Lakers finish as the No. 1 seed out west, Kobe probably deserves the MVP. And he took a big step toward that today. I'm still surprised at how poorly the Spurs played after halftime.

 

Celtics beat the Knicks without Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Eddie House. As the fans are chanting to fire Isiah after the buzzer, he's oblivious on the sidelines, joking it up with Doc Rivers.

What a tool.

 

Put Garnett, Allen and Pierce on the Knicks, and Rivers and Isiah's roles are reversed.

Granted, Isiah calls the shots on player personnel in NY, so this is moot. But let;s not act like Rivers became a genius because he all of a sudden got some players.

 

Huh? I think the previous poster was commenting solely on Thomas, not Rivers. Rivers has responded to this type of question the same way all year (paraphrasing) "I was a lousy coach last year and I'm a great coach this year, funny how it works when you get talented players."

 

Nothing like showing some professional pride: With 7 minutes left, Chicago 134, Milwaukee 112.

 

Yes, I know that.

I think a poster named BOSTONbred just needed to be reminded of it.

What the hell is Isiah supposed to be doing in that situation? Should he give the crowd the finger? Should he scream at his players?

 

Everyone say congratulations to the Atlanta Hawks, into the playoffs for the first time since 1999.