NBA Playoff Thread

DD, I'm not a Kobe hater, well I shouldn't say that. I dislike the person but love the player. I do think he's the best in the game, but to make a point in the 7th game is wrong to me. It was doubtful they were going to win but for him to do that in the second half of a game 7 strikes me as Kobe being a petulant child.

 

Captain Kirk: Don't forget that for the first six years of Jordan's career, the Bulls did bupkus in the playoffs, were widely considered a dog team, and that Jordan's game was widely evaluated as not being the sort that won championships. James has it easy compared to the young MJ -- he's not being compared to Magic and Larry Bird on a nightly basis, who had multiple Hall of Fame teammates, top-shelf Hall guys at that.

 

Passing to open teammates who miss shots is a petulant act?

I realize it's probably more complicated than I'm making it out to be. But it's hard to rip a guy and have it both ways.

I know this: He was the only reason that 2006 team had any chance of winning anything, much less a series as a six seed.

 

For you, DD. And I can only watch this because of what's happened since February 2008. Still, this is sort of like Game 2 and game 4 in the 1984 Finals.

My stomach hurts.

The Lakers were up three in that situation because Kobe made two ridiculous shots in a row. Then of course this happened and it goes into OT. Kobe ends up scoring 50 as he hits some late threes in OT. Barkley afterward said, "See, this is what happens when Kobe scores too much, Lakers don't win." WHAT? Agh. Then of course he was ripping on him after Game 7 for, yes, passing too much.

 

I don't know about bupkus; he had the 63 point game against the Celtics (albeit in a 3 game sweep) that seemed to be his launching point as a great player, he had the highlight reel shot over Ehlo to beat the Cavs and they had gone toe to toe with the Pistions, twice I believe. Not a champion; but not a dog team .

And James is being compared to MJ and Kobe and trying to measure up against their what 10 total titles. It's almost like James is expected to win that many titles in one year.

 

Didn't the Celtics sweep the Bulls in the 63 point series?

 

But, in MJ's defense with the Bulls, Chicago got a little bit better each year. From 1988-1990, they took the Eastern Conference Champs a little deeper (5 games, 6 and then 7 in '90, the infamous Pippen Headache Game).

It wasn't like they were higher seeds losing to inferior teams, as Cleveland is on the verge of doing here. In 2007, Cleveland won the East, getting past a "too old" Detroit team before San Antonio worked them in the finals.

Starting in 1986, until breaking through in 1991 -- the Bulls kept getting a little bit better, something through unusual moves (Pippen, swapping a monster like Oakley for Medical Bill Cartwright, firing Collins for Phil Jackson). Yet each year featured a slight upgrade.

Cleveland tried to do that with Jamison and Shaq but they have too many holes. Not enough of a supporting cast and I don't see any evidence Mike Brown knows what he is doing, especially when up against Doc Rivers or Stan Van Gundy.

 

Dear Ex: I agree. James may some day be near Jordan as a player. Mike Brown ain't catching Phil Jakcson anytime soon. He can't catch Doc Rivers.

 

Speaking of Mike Brown, I'd like to nominate NBA Coach of the Year as the silliest award in all of basketball.

COY should be renamed "coach of team that wasn't expected to do anything, but was good," or, "coach of team that was really good for the first time, while having a roster that a moron could coach to fifty wins."

The last three winners: Mike Brown, Byron Scott, Sam freaking Mitchell.

 

Will Brown get another HC job after he is fired next week?

 

Basketball is changing so much...

It used to be the guys that won the scoring titles did not win the NBA titles. Then Jordan came along.

I think James' place in basketball history is going to be very, very hotly debated on this board in about five years.

I also think Tim Duncan passed a torch this year as well.

And damned if Bill Simmons did not call the Durant possibly greater than James about nine months ago. James does have abouts what, six good years before his legs go? What is his NBA legs odometer reading right now?

If I was James, I would pay very close attention to where Wade ends up. The gap between Kobe and the Durant era might be filled by Wade and not James.

 

I'm a Celtics fan from way back but no way am I assuming this series is over. You can be sure the Celtics aren't either.