NBA Playoff Thread

My personal judgment is that while the best teams of today are not as strong as the best teams of 20-30 years ago (let alone 40-50 years ago), there is a greater depth of good teams than there was back then. That is, there was nothing comparable to the strength of the Western Conference back then. The Lakers were going to the Finals unless somebody got hurt. In the East, it was Philly and Boston, and that was that, and when they declined, the Pistons and Bulls became the two biggies.
So the competition is better, if not the level of play as a whole.

 

Me

 

I did love the 2-3-2 format the first year the NBA used it: 1985. If the Lakers had to go back to Boston after DJ's game-winning shot in Game 4, it probably would have been a repeat of 1984, right down to Kareem melting in the ridiculous heat of the Garden. Instead the Lakers cruised in Game 5 at the Forum and finally finished them off in 6 in Boston.

 

Celtics sure look better than LA tonight, so far. Not surprising.

 

I amend my previous statement to say I'll be surprised if Lakers ever cut margin below five, and stunned if they come back to win. Tonight, anyway.

 

Juwan Howard is going off!

 

Frankly, the Lakers just seem to have a habit of turning turtle when they have a chance to grab a series by the throat. That's why I do not believe they can beat the Celtics. They are not nearly as mentally tough as a unit.

 

It always makes me laugh when you Boston-ites try to attribute the success of your teams to blue collar toughness.

Owah teams are soo much mentah-ly tuffa than yows! Just like ouwah citizahns! You Hallywood cawks could nevah want it as much az ouw guyz!

 

that Ray Allen is wicked good.

 

It's the 1980s all over again. Same things we had to listen to then.

The Lakers were the first team since the 1989 Pistons to make it to the Finals after losing the previous season. That's a decent sign of mental toughness. They've won the West, one of the most competitive conferences in NBA history the last three seasons, for three straight years. That takes a bit of mental toughness. And they're the defending champions, though not everyone east of the Mississippi realizes that. That takes some mental toughness. They also only trail by nine points right now despite Ray Allen outscoring Kobe by 19 points.

Wait. They trail by 6 now...hmmmm...

 

Faaack

 

I liked Boston's mental toughness in the last 40 seconds, when they gave up 7 straight points, and in doing so, a threatening to waste one of the greatest shooting performances in NBA Finals history.

It's a fawking conspiraceiez! Stern cleah-ley wantz da Laykaz to cum baack fer ratingz!