NBA '08 Playoff Thread

[bostonbred]

Bostonbred ... Celtic Pride was on the other day. If the Jazz and Celts battle in The Finals ... is there something you'll be wanting to tell us??

Hmmm...track my IP if Carlos Boozer goes missing. I'll just blame it on Gordon Gund or something.

And Celtic Pride is underrated. Not one of Apatow's finest, but I'll admit that I own a copy.

 

[hachat11]

It just baffles me how he can win a defensive award for a teamthat bad defensively.
That team wasn't exactly a lockdown team last year, either.

Steve Nash won the NBA MVP for two consecutive years and his team never won an NBA title. Defensive MVP awards aren't based on team's success. They are based on the individual. Camby was a monster last year.

But Nash made the Suns incredibly better those two years in taking them to the Conference Finals (though I still think Kobe or LeBron should have won it that second year).
While Camby posts big numbers, does he make a big difference defensively? That defense was still shoddy with him in there last year, no matter what numbers he had.

I don't think it's all about numbers, either. Garnett didn't post amazing defensive stats this year (1.4 steals, 1.2 blocks) but he changed the team's defensive mindset. Boston became a great defensive team largely because of his attitude and presence. Camby clearly hasn't done the same in Denver.

I'm not trying to argue he's not a good defender. But, great numbers or not, giving up 250 points in two games indicates he doesn't have a major impact.

Anyway, do the Wizards have a stand in them tonight or does the slightest bit of adversity send them spiraling?

 

[ucacm]

Utah/Houston played the best game of the playoffs outside of PHX/SA Game 1. Very high intensity, back and forth scoring, a man loses his tooth only to come back and make the game winning block (and save) for the Rockets.

 

[hachat11]

So how strange is it that Utah, a bad road team this year, wins the first two at Houston and then can't go up 3-0 at home, where it went 37-4 this year?

Gutty performance by the Rockets for sure.

Big game 3's for Suns and Mavs at home. I feel much better about the Suns winning tonight than I do Dallas. I'm also interested in seeing how Philly plays at home against the Pistons tonight. Game 1 might have stirred up Detroit just enough.

 

[rube]

Kobe for MVP and Finals MVP. He finally gets one without the big guy there. He is still the best player in the league and I'm not even a Lakers fan.

The Pistons losing in the first round would be outstanding.

Bulls fan?

 

[Oz]

Loved seeing this Byron Scott-Jerry Stackhouse story today. Saw it on ESPN, so I Googled it ...

http://www.wearethepostmen.com/2008/04/25/jerry-stackhouse-vs-byron-scott-bit-player-showdown-of-the-century/

"He was sitting on the sideline and we just got into a little conversation or something and he was going to tell me, you know, 'Talk to me when you get a ring.' I was like, I told that fool, 'If I played with Magic and Worthy and Kareem I'd have a ring, too. So, you know, he's a sucker in my book, but that's a whole other story."

 

[suburbia]

I see the Pistons are again making things more difficult for themselves than they need to.

Has this just been something that has happened under Flip Saunders? Because, say what you want about Larry Brown, I don't remember his Pistons teams playing this uninspired in the playoffs.

 

[Starman]

I see the Pistons are again making things more difficult for themselves than they need to.

Has this just been something that has happened under Flip Saunders? Because, say what you want about Larry Brown, I don't remember his Pistons teams playing this uninspired in the playoffs.

Rasheed Wallace. 32 MIN. 1-6 FG (0-3 3PFG), 0-2 FT, 4 RB, 2 PTS.

Gonna yuck it up in the Sixers huddle tonight, Rah-Weed??

 

[rube]

Loved seeing this Byron Scott-Jerry Stackhouse story today. Saw it on ESPN, so I Googled it ...

http://www.wearethepostmen.com/2008/04/25/jerry-stackhouse-vs-byron-scott-bit-player-showdown-of-the-century/

"He was sitting on the sideline and we just got into a little conversation or something and he was going to tell me, you know, 'Talk to me when you get a ring.' I was like, I told that fool, 'If I played with Magic and Worthy and Kareem I'd have a ring, too. So, you know, he's a sucker in my book, but that's a whole other story."

Ridiculous. Word to the wise there Brickhouse, if you had played with Magic, Worthy and Kareem -- they'd have probably gotten together and thrown your selfish egomaniacal ass off the team so they could bring in a solid winner like Byron Scott.
Douchebag. I hope when Dallas gets bounced that Cuban's first order of business (outside of getting Josh Howard's dope dealer locked up) is to send him to basketball purgatory ... like a semi-pro team in Poland or something.

 

[rube]

I see the Pistons are again making things more difficult for themselves than they need to.

Has this just been something that has happened under Flip Saunders? Because, say what you want about Larry Brown, I don't remember his Pistons teams playing this uninspired in the playoffs.

Rasheed Wallace. 32 MIN. 1-6 FG (0-3 3PFG), 0-2 FT, 4 RB, 2 PTS.

Gonna yuck it up in the Sixers huddle tonight, Rah-Weed??

I smell a ridiculous guarantee from Rasheed for game 4 -- where he'll shoot 1-of-15 and get tossed as his teammates bail him out and the Pistons win by a score of 69-68.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Loved seeing this Byron Scott-Jerry Stackhouse story today. Saw it on ESPN, so I Googled it ...

http://www.wearethepostmen.com/2008/04/25/jerry-stackhouse-vs-byron-scott-bit-player-showdown-of-the-century/

"He was sitting on the sideline and we just got into a little conversation or something and he was going to tell me, you know, 'Talk to me when you get a ring.' I was like, I told that fool, 'If I played with Magic and Worthy and Kareem I'd have a ring, too. So, you know, he's a sucker in my book, but that's a whole other story."

Byron Scott led the 1987-88 title team in scoring. Considering his teammates, that's more impressive than anything Stackhouse has done since being called a "Next Jordan" when he was at UNC.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/1988.html

 

[rube]

Suns have whittled it down to 13 with under eight left.
Who thinks they still lose by 15?