Opinions on the playoffs so far?
If you got them post them!
My take thus far? I can't believe that my Knicks are bellyaching about the Nets' rough treatment of them. That sort of basket brawl always used to be a staple of the Knicks, who are now, overmatched, and soft.
Say what you like about the Knicks, but they always had enforces to take care of a dirty foul by the other team-Oakley and Mason in particular, Sprewell later.
East:
Knicks get swept. Bu-bye.
Celtics take the series to game 5.
Miami/NO doesn't even matter, since the winner will take on the Pacers.
Detroit over the Bucks.
Detroit over the Nets. They want to play though, meet the thoughest badass D in the league. Goodbye.
I'd certainly watch a Pistons/Pacers eastern conference championship. My pick would be Detroit.
West.
Dallas is gone. So are the Nuggets.
Memphis has a strong team on paper, but the Spurs are playing like they have somethign to prove. I think the series goes to game 6, with the Spurs moving on.
Houston goes the distance with LA, LA eventually wins, if they don't self destruct first. Never bet against a Van Gundy team.
San Antone over the winner of that series. The rapist and the man-child would have to work together and push the team past the Spurs. Without alot of help from the Lakers bench, I just can't see it.
I really like the Kings as a team, but I just don't see them getting past the 'Wolves. The Wolves can score at will, and can lock a game down when they need to, which is more than we can say about the Kings.
Spurs over the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Final.
That's make it Spurs/Pistons at the big show.
You heard it here first.
As the Sports Guy so accurately put it, a Spurs/Pistons series might be the apocalypse of basketball.
""This is Mike Tirico signing off from the SBC Center, where the final score is, San Antonio 49, Detroit 37. See you next time!""
I hope and pray for a Mavs/Kings - Pacers series.
Yes, the Knicks have suddenly become a bunch of whining, flopping nancyboys, save for Dikembe.
My Picks:
East
Since it''s not even worth considering any teams not from Indiana or Michigan, I think Indiana can pull of a surprise in 7.
West
Lakers 3-1 Rockets.
Spurs 3-0 Grizz
Minny 3-1 Denver
Saramento 3-2 Dallas
Then Minny takes Sacramento, Lakers undo the Spurs. Kobe and co finally gel, and undo KG and Co. in six.
Lakers roll in five games over the Pacers in the final.
Go Lakers!
Blah blah blah! Say all you want about them but if you grew up watching Magic Johnson or listening to Chick Hearn call a Magic Johnson game, you''d be a life long Laker fan too.
I would rather the Lakers not have to play the Spurs but they can get it done. Its all a matter of which Laker team shows up. They either play brilliantly or play good enough to win (which means they lose 3 out of 10)
I love Magic. I love Chick Hearn. I hate the Kobe v. Shaq opera almost as much as I hate the preening Maybe-Rapist and the 350-pound Baller-Turned-Actor-Turned-Rapper-Turned-Socrates-Turned-Shut-The-F***-Up-Already-You-Mushmouthed-Bastard.
Pat Riley and the Laker''s of the 80''s were worth respecting.
Anyway, Minny and KG deserve it more.
If the Celtics get by the Pacers in round 1 I''ll give my Gamecube to Charity. Any team with a sub .500 record does not deserve to be in the playoff''s.
Oh and speaking of the Lakers of the 80''s....
LARRY!!!!!!!!
What great games those were.
Wow this died but quick.
Lakers? Got any life in em''?
Nets? Got a chance?
Pacers? Anyone really care?
First, they''re seven games series, not five!
Lakers have a chance, all depends on how they come out in game 4. If they win like they did this weekend they''ll take it in 7.
Nets, no chance. They might make it 6, maybe even 7, but the Pistons are too good.
Miami has no chance.
I want Minnesota to win, but that series is a toss-up.
Itll be a battle between which team can outgrow their tendancy to choke. The Twolves have the best chance at that. Most of their guys are new. Bibby and Jackson are the real deal but unfortunately, Vlade, Webber (to some extent), and Christie have plenty of choking experience in the playoffs. That Brad Miller guy looks like he will be a major thorn in the Lakers side from now on.
Unfortunately, my Lakers are fully capable of putting their heads up their asses and losing game 4 which will seal the deal. (most likely in 5) If they win they still only have one real chance and thats taking the Spurs to 7. The Lakers will not beat the Spurs in 6 but the Spurs have every opportunity to win in 5,6 or 7.
It would be nice to see Indiana or Detroit really pick up steam for the finals. Neither of them would beat the Lakers and most likely not the Spurs though we saw how tired they were last year after a run through the best teams in the west. So there might a chance at an interesting final.
Last night''s game was incredible. Wow! I''m glad I didn''t stop watching when the Lakers went up by 16 in the third.
All these close series... and here I am without cable. 
And it''s not like it used to be when NBC would broadcast 2 or three games over the weekend. Although I''m thankful that ABC decided to show last night''s game.
Last night''s game was incredible. Wow! I''m glad I didn''t stop watching when the Lakers went up by 16 in the third.
That was quite a finish. I thought, no way. No Way! .4 seconds left, and the Lakers scored?
I''d like to see Karl Malone get a ring.
The Lakers will win it all just to spite their detractors and the state of Colorado.
Kobe will get another ring to SLAP-A-HO wit!
I''m still struggling how it was possible to inbound the ball...have it caught..turn around and release in less than .4 seconds..
When I imagine it...it doesnt seem possible..
I was always under the impression that you needed pretty much close to .8 seconds for that play to actually work...that it really wasnt humanly possible to do it in less time...and .5 or less you need to throw it in and tip it or redirect it towards the basket.
I''m still struggling how it was possible to inbound the ball...have it caught..turn around and release in less than .4 seconds..
When I imagine it...it doesnt seem possible..
I was always under the impression that you needed pretty much close to .8 seconds for that play to actually work...that it really wasnt humanly possible to do it in less time...and .5 or less you need to throw it in and tip it or redirect it towards the basket.
Two words for you: Christian Laettner
That was ridiculous. Completely, totally, ridiculous. Duncan''s shot was silly enough, but then the one to win?
As Steve Smith, the resident ""Extremely Angry Black Guy"" on the ESPN basketball staff says, ""It''s over.""
Really if the refs are reviewing it, they need to check the beginning of the play as well as the end.
The ball did leave his hands before the shot clock went off.
But how long did it take them to start the clock?
The clock doesnt start till the ball touches a players hand.
And to be honest, I thought the clock took an exhorbitant amount of time to start at 5.4 seconds left for Duncans shot. But nobody would have said anything about that if Fisher had missed. But cmon guys... do we really want the NBA to start having 6 refs on the court and calling every foul too? Look at the highlight reel they show. There is one of Shaq doing a quarter turn 1 footer. He switches from left hand to right and gets slapped on the off forearm at least 3 times before he makes the bucket. So fair is fair. Shaq gets away with some bumps that send lighter men to the floor, and every slap and scratch he takes in the paint gets mostly passed over.
bumps? bumps?
Its like hes a bowling ball barreling down the lane.
bumps my ass 
Okay, if it gets any worse than this, i''m going to croak. That nail-biter last night, and tonight, a Three Overtime game. Jeez.
And now, another edition of Out of Context Theatre:
Its like hes a bowling ball barreling down the lane.
bumps my ass :)
This has been another edition of Out of Context Theatre.
Regarding Lakers/Spurs: The official NBA line, I think, is that you have to have at least .3 seconds on the clock in order to perform a catch & shoot. If it''s under, it''s assumed that a shot cannot be performed, and a tip-in is the only way you can score at that point.
And I had to check to make sure I was not watching Eastern Conference teams a few times :D. That was an ugly game.
I think I''m going to explode the next time I hear how ""heroic"" it is for Kobe to play basketball after appearing in court the same day. Give me a break. It makes me sick.
Yah, ask the guys at E3... After the Laker win, I joked that he''s not done playing since he''s got to go to court!
He''s not a hero, he''s lucky he''s getting priviledges not afforded others and Im glad he''s decided to use that time to help his team.
Call me an OJ appologist, but I still have a hard time believing he of all people did it.
Speaking of which, have you guys heard the initial selections for team USA in the olympics? It will prominently feature Allen Iverson. Ya I want him representing my country. There were some other questionable selections. Other than Malone, it looks like they are going really young with the team. Im glad Larry Brown is coaching. He''s like the Bill Parcell''s of the NBA. He goes around and doesnt stay very long with any one team but he ressurects the franchise. (Pistons, 76ers, Pacers, Clippers)
Speaking of which, have you guys heard the initial selections for team USA in the olympics? It will prominently feature Allen Iverson
Why what did he do? other than be an ass..but thats like 95% of all NBA players
Can a 73-70 game be considered a ""Thriller""?
Seriously, what''s going on? These guys are putting up WNBA scores recently.
Either way, I hope all the goodness in the playoffs hasn''t been used up.
Also, Nets over Pistons and Wolves over Kings.
There has been some horrifying basketball in these playoffs. The playoff setup this year stinks, too. It seems like the 1st and 2nd rounds have been going on for 6 months... Change the first round back to best of 5, less downtime between games.
I was pulling for Miami. Wade was great in this series, and how can you not root for coach Ron Jeremy.. errr... Stan Van Gundy.
I agree, I really didn''t like the change of the first round to seven games, and the schedule they put in has borne that out. Plus this stuff about not wanting to show two games in one night is crappy. Here we were Monday night in the middle of the second round and no games are on!
And yeah, the Olympic team is dropping like flies. Half the guys they''re naming now aren''t even All Stars!
Can a 73-70 game be considered a ""Thriller""?
Seriously, what''s going on? These guys are putting up WNBA scores recently.
Good defense, and face it, players can''t hit the broadside of the barn these days. How many open looks did Tony Parker get?
Millions of dollars for 20 points per night on 10-30 shooting? Is the talent pool really that thin?
I miss real shooters, guys like Rambis. Didn''t get the ball much, but if the ball came out to him, you better foul his ass, cause it was going in.
Reggie Miller?
Reggie Miller?
Nah, Reggie has had it. About as effective as Robert Horry now.
Still, he has a good effect on the kids.
I think there are still those guys around, they just don''t get as much play time because players that can drive the lane are more valued. Some have had good streaks, like Peja got on one earlier this year, Hoiberg(sp?) in Minnesota is a good shooter, even Hamilton in Detroit has a great few games.
But I agree, when the leading FG% leader is Shaq at 58% because he plays around the rim, it''s a league that doesn''t play enough shooters.
Pages