NBA Playoffs Thread

Artest reverting to Artest 1.0 should be just as worrisome for the Lakers.

 

Point taken. That sight doesn't exactly bring a smile to my face either (Memphis, Dallas or OKC would, though).

That was definitely a lesser of two evils point. What can I say, last year's Lebronathan and the whole way this Heat team came about makes me dislike them even more than LA. Hey, I'm used to the sight of LA hoisting the trophy, so at least that wouldn't be a new pain. I'm skeptical that the teams I'm for can beat the Heat, but I (once) was confident that LA definitely would.

 

Sarcasm.

 

yep, because cuban played so poorly in that series

 

Piss. My bad. It was early. Still is.

 

f we do see that it will further and completely turn public opinion against the players in the upcoming lockout. Lebron holding the trophy will turn so many stomachs and make it a stone lock that the owners will have the blessing of public opinion when the work stoppage gets ugly. I would hate to see it as well, but part of me would like to see the owners hold out until the sport is totally fixed...even if that means we lose a season or two. As things stand, if the owners give in and do not insist on a hard cap and tiered pay structure I am afraid the NBA will be nothing but a memory a decade down the road.

 

OK, this is just absurd hyperbole. The NBA has a lot of problems, but it ain't disappearing, it'll still be here in a decade no matter what.

And tying all that into the Lebron/Heat thing is also a stretch. I'm cheering against the Heat because ...well, I just don't like that damn team, you know, fanboy shit. But let's not pretend the fate of the entire league hinges on Lebron losing.

 

Still fun to watch dynasties crumble, especially with all the "fans" in LA

 

So if LeBron James wins a title with the Heat, that means there must be something wrong with the structure of basketball, because he's an ass (true, that) and him winning would give people a sad. Since there is no other means aside from abolishing free agency that can prevent players from playing where they want, it's bring back the reserve clause!!
People here work in a business where they are continually exploited by ownership. But just so they can feel good as fans, they support the exploitation of others?

 

I'm not quite getting the Pau hate. This isn't his best series, but he's averaging 14 points, 10.5 rebounds and four assists a game in what was going to be a tough matchup for him from the get-go. To me, he's performing only slightly below expectations and that has everything to do with finishing around to rim where he, like many other Lakers, looks fatigued a bit.

I think Kerr suggested that maybe the annual runs to the finals may finally be catching up with their legs. That may be true.

I do think the Lakers bench is disappointing. Steve Blake is really struggling. The two wings who are their young energy guys, Brown and Barnes, haven't given them anything. And Odom has been worse than Gasol. Last night he's 3-for-12 for six points. And he's the guy who's supposed to be their answer for Dirk.

 

Wouldn't mind seeing Dirk win a title, although I've got very little love for the Mavs as a team. My inclination, though, is that if Boston gets ushered out, as seems likely (celtics fanboy here), I may just give up on hoops and watch hockey the rest of the way.

 

I want to preface my next paragraph by noting that I am a life long Laker Hater based on being a teenage Celtic fan back in the 80's.

That being said I don't get the bashing of Laker fans. I realize this is stricly anecdotal but I was at mid season Laker game against Philly a couple years ago and the crowd was engaged, loud, and seemed to know their stuff.

I have only been to a few arenas but it was nice not to have the T-shirt cannons, hot dog races etc during the time outs. It was just the game that was the event.

What am I missing here? Was I there on an odd night or is the lame Laker crowd a justified sterotype.

Magic still sucks, Kobe is still a loser and Michael Cooper is still ugly.