All Purpose NBA Thread I

Being Canadian, I have two questions for my American counterparts:

1) How much "Steve Nash is the MVP" play is there in major markets south of the border and, of course, on ESPN?

2) How much play and respect are the Raptors getting? And, as a side, is Bosh for MVP seen as ridiculous - kind of like how I see it?

 

SoSueMe - Nash for MVP is getting a lot of play, for sure.

The Raptors are being taken seriously. I've even heard some
Bosh for MVP talk, because the Raptors were (are?) leading their division. It hasn't been too strong of talk on Bosh, though.

 

And my apologies to Cavs fans. Lebron is closing strong. Cavs by 3 with less than 3 minutes to go.

 

Cavs by 4 with 1 minute.

 

Yeah, they're still leading the division. And, I've watched them a lot lately. They look good and balanced, and deep enough. But I don't think they are big enough or physical enough to get through a healthy Miami Heat team or the Pistons.

 

I don't think anyone takes the Raptors seriously as far as the playoffs go, SSM. I think most people think that the Heat, Pistons, and Bulls are the real threats to go to the Finals. Although they might consider the Raptors for the EC semi-finals, which would be a nice step for them.

I like the Raptors and hope they keep kicking butt. Toronto is one of my favorite cities.

 

Uh-oh. Must be late. RokSki is talking to himself again.

 

Cavs win by 6, 114-108.

The Lakers have lost 5 in a row, and 11 of 15. They are reeling. They are still in #6, but they are in a tailspin right now. Their defense and rebounding is awful, especially the defense.

Lebron - 38, Kobe - 31.

If LAL falls to #7 - and I think there's a decent chance of that
happening when AI comes back for Denver, it's one and out like last year, but it will be a lot harsher then last year's thriller to the Suns. PHX or DAL will take them out fast and hard.

Big Chief Triangle better circle the wagons and break out the peace pipes, because the ship be sinking right now.

 

Actually, SoSueMe spared me some of that tonight, thank God. But I'm sure I will be very soon. Ha ha.

 

Phil Jackson has never lost 6 games in a row as an NBA head coach. He'll be going for that 'record' when the Lakers resume playing after the break.

Here's Phil after the loss to the Cavs (courtesy LA Times):

"I think I saw players that had quit in their eyes tonight … and I thought I saw guys that felt defeated."

 

Another thing I wanted to add from this game:

Sasha Pavlovic, for the Cavs, can play. He's young, and he's got a lot to learn, but he has excellent basketball instincts, can shoot, and can also do enough off-of-the dibble to make a defender give him some room to shoot. But above all, he has a very high basketball IQ. This is a guy who is going to help Lebron for years. I've seen him twice now in the last week, and he's in that stage where he's really starting to figure out how to carve his niche in the NBA and for his team.

I'm not saying he's going to be a star, but he will be a very good rotation player and the kind of guy you want on your team. I think his numbers will jump up next year from his current 6.6/1.9/1.1 (pts/rebs/assts), particularly his scoring. He should definitely be able to score in double figures if used correctly, and if he continues to improve his off-the-dribble game. I wasn't paying attention to how the Cavs used him, but I would try to have him be a scorer (if he's ready for that role) off of the bench.

I can't think of who to compare him to, off the top of my head. He's 6-7, 210. His handle's ok, but still needs plenty of work. Good hops. He's smooth and gets good spacing for spot-ups and on fast breaks. Calm demeanor. Has a good-not-great outside J, but definitely has 3-Pt range. His shot is fluid, and that combined with his cool demeanor gives you the feeling that he could become a go-to guy in the clutch (when Lebron's doubled, etc.). Not afraid to shoot.

 

Ladies and germs,

I give you the post-padder of the year: RoKsKi ;D