o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

[jobathenut]

I can't believe the leagues poster team the cleveland james,(i mean the cavaliers)did'nt make the finals.Well i bet the league and all the so called experts are upset as every one of them had it as the lakers vs cavaliers. And they were all getting ready to focus and promote the series as a kobe vs james final.Heck,the nba already had thier commercials out there featuring them.Which i hate when they do that,it's about the teams and not just one player.I mean its not a one on on game,then you could call it a kobe vs james game.Well in my opinion the refs sure tried thier best to get the cavaliers to the finals.Problem is,that team has to realize thier a team and not just one player.You can't run your offense through james as the turnovers showed.Not to mention,when you don't have a good,what i call "role" players around you,you are a one diminsional team,and the other team knows who you are going to on every play.The sign of greatness,is making the team around you better.Well anyway,this should be a interesting finals.I don't think the lakers have a ansewer for howard.The lakers don't really have a big man like that,i mean who do you put on him,bynum?.He gets way too many fouls,and i don't think he can defend him,but i think that is the only one they could put against him.And all the magic offense does is shoot threes,so as the saying goes,you live by the threes ,you die by the threes.So that's another key to the series i believe.What do the rest of you nba fans think will happen in the finals? with all being considered,i'm going with the lakers in 6 games.But i just have to say i really hate the 2-3-2 format,that really takes the so called home court advantage to the team that;'s suppose to have it.To me,the team with the 3 is the team with the advantage.I think the lakers can win one the game on the road and bring it home to win the championship

[joelsabi]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

I can't believe the leagues poster team the cleveland james,(i mean the cavaliers)did'nt make the finals.Well i bet the league and all the so called experts are upset as every one of them had it as the lakers vs cavaliers. And they were all getting ready to focus and promote the series as a kobe vs james final.Heck,the nba already had thier commercials out there featuring them.Which i hate when they do that,it's about the teams and not just one player.I mean its not a one on on game,then you could call it a kobe vs james game.Well in my opinion the refs sure tried thier best to get the cavaliers to the finals.Problem is,that team has to realize thier a team and not just one player.You can't run your offense through james as the turnovers showed.Not to mention,when you don't have a good,what i call "role" players around you,you are a one diminsional team,and the other team knows who you are going to on every play.The sign of greatness,is making the team around you better.Well anyway,this should be a interesting finals.I don't think the lakers have a ansewer for howard.The lakers don't really have a big man like that,i mean who do you put on him,bynum?.He gets way too many fouls,and i don't think he can defend him,but i think that is the only one they could put against him.And all the magic offense does is shoot threes,so as the saying goes,you live by the threes ,you die by the threes.So that's another key to the series i believe.What do the rest of you nba fans think will happen in the finals? with all being considered,i'm going with the lakers in 6 games.But i just have to say i really hate the 2-3-2 format,that really takes the so called home court advantage to the team that;'s suppose to have it.To me,the team with the 3 is the team with the advantage.I think the lakers can win one the game on the road and bring it home to win the championship

the weird part about the 2-3-2 format is that the pivotal game (game 5) will be in orlando which is a lower seed than los angeles. does that make sense? no.

i dont see orlando to be as physical as houston or denver were against the lakers. that bodes well for the lakers. should be some high scoring games with both team taking their share of treys. perimeter defense of ariza and odom on rashard and turkoglu will be better matchup for the lakers than it was for the cavaliers.

will be interesting to see how bynum is used or not used. he definitely is only 80% back. still, you gotta put that big body on howard to at least let howard earn his points and work at both ends of the court. besides, howard is a terrible free throw shooter. phil should tell bynum to hack away.

does howard have a killer instinct whenever orlando takes a double digit lead at home? that should be the story in this series. we all know kobe is money in the fourth quarter in any close game. lakers in 6.

[jobathenut]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

joelsabi-Nice insight.And that's what i was saying about that the 2-3-2 format actaully makes the road team to start the series the team with the home court advantage.I just don't see bynum being able to guard howard that good.And doing a hack-a-shaq thing to howard aint going to do any good.Look how good that defense worked when teams did that to shaq when he was with the lakers-3 rings.The howard factor to me is the one thing i would be concerned about for the lakers winning this series.If they shut down howard they win,but if howard takes over,then the magic will win or it will be a long 6 or 7 game finals.They say defense wins championships,so that's why i say that if they shut him down the lakers will win.But of course it could just come down to high scoring games,with little defense.It will be interesting how it will play out for sure.And its funny to think of the league and network scrapping all the james highlites/stories they had all set to go and now having to come up with howard highlites/stories.

[mr.miracle]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

joelsabi-Nice insight.And that's what i was saying about that the 2-3-2 format actaully makes the road team to start the series the team with the home court advantage.I just don't see bynum being able to guard howard that good.And doing a hack-a-shaq thing to howard aint going to do any good.Look how good that defense worked when teams did that to shaq when he was with the lakers-3 rings.The howard factor to me is the one thing i would be concerned about for the lakers winning this series.If they shut down howard they win,but if howard takes over,then the magic will win or it will be a long 6 or 7 game finals.They say defense wins championships,so that's why i say that if they shut him down the lakers will win.But of course it could just come down to high scoring games,with little defense.It will be interesting how it will play out for sure.And its funny to think of the league and network scrapping all the james highlites/stories they had all set to go and now having to come up with howard highlites/stories.

Its funny, I am not necessarily so opposed to the 232 format and if anything I look at it this way. Assuming that the team with the best record is able to take care of business at home and win one on the road, they have the final two games on their own court to close it out. Since the NBA went to that format 20 plus years ago, only the Pistons in 04 and the Heat in 07 were able to win all three of those games on their own home court I believe. Since in most cases the teams have to criss-cross the country that format seems to make a bit of sense anyway.

Howard is going to get his in these playoffs but I agree, Odom and Ariza can stick with both Turkoglu and Lewis and the Lakers obviously have a huge advantage at the 2 guard. Lets put it this way, the Cavs were absolutely killed inside in the last series. I don't see that coming close to happening. Big Z looked horrible against Howard and Big Ben is a shell of his former self. Nobody else could slow Howard down at all. The Lakers are going to have to close out the 3 point shooters as you just cannot let these guys keep firing away from outside. I say Lakers in 6 as well.

[sox83cubs84]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

While I respect him as a coach and NBA legend, Red Auerbach's constant belittling and sniping regarding Phil Jackson's 9 NBA championships (both share the record currently at 9) bugged me to no end. I'd be very happy if the Zen Master triangled his way to his 10th and wiped Red's name out of the record books in that category

Dave M.
Chicago area

[cigarman44]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

Im taking Orlando in 6 against LA. People who thought the Cavs would run through the Magic were crazy. The Magic had beat them like 11 out of 13 times the last two years. They were the only team that gave them match up problems. If Boston would have won the series versus the Magic I think the Cavs would have beat them in 5 games.

[cordovacollector]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

I say Magic in 7. The difference maker being Kobe. Scientific reason: I can't stand him.

[mr.miracle]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

OHhhh boy, here we go, so I have to ask, does everyone who is picking the Magic pick them because they really think that they are a better team than the Lakers and will win the series or because they just hate the Lakers and are hoping against all hope that somebody, anybody will beat the Lakers?

I don't see it at all, there is just no way after last seasons debacle that Kobe will be denied. I think the Lakers would have beaten anybody representing the East and for all the nut jobs who are saying the Lakers are happy they are avoiding the Cavs, I say it makes no difference, the Cavs, Magic, Celtics it does not matter they are the best team in the NBA when motivated.

I am so confident that the Lakers will win this series that I would bet a game used Ripken bat against an item of somewhat similar value that the Lakers will win this series. Provided everyone stays healthy and no injuries occur I just don't see this going past six games if it even reaches six games. Kobe is on a mission and this year just won't be denied.

[cordovacollector]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

I'll take that bet! A game-used Cordova bat vs your Ripken bat. Well, OK, I do understand it was to be of same value .... OK, I'll throw in my Ripken 2997th hit dugout lineup card and not embarrass your collection with my Cordova bat.

[jobathenut]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

A little confused here by your post.So you say kobe is going to be the difference maker in this finals.But you are taking the magic in 7.So are you saying that kobe will stink it up in the finals?

I say Magic in 7. The difference maker being Kobe. Scientific reason: I can't stand him.

[jobathenut]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

Mr.miracle-I am your biggest fan right now.YEAH-NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.ALOT OF PEOPLE CLAIM TO BE A TRUE FAN,THIS IS BEING A TRUE FAN.Putting your money where your mouth is.Miracle, just does'nt talk the talk,miracle is walking it!!!! .I totally agree with you.Man,I can't say just how much respect for you i have.

OHhhh boy, here we go, so I have to ask, does everyone who is picking the Magic pick them because they really think that they are a better team than the Lakers and will win the series or because they just hate the Lakers and are hoping against all hope that somebody, anybody will beat the Lakers?

I don't see it at all, there is just no way after last seasons debacle that Kobe will be denied. I think the Lakers would have beaten anybody representing the East and for all the nut jobs who are saying the Lakers are happy they are avoiding the Cavs, I say it makes no difference, the Cavs, Magic, Celtics it does not matter they are the best team in the NBA when motivated.

I am so confident that the Lakers will win this series that I would bet a game used Ripken bat against an item of somewhat similar value that the Lakers will win this series. Provided everyone stays healthy and no injuries occur I just don't see this going past six games if it even reaches six games. Kobe is on a mission and this year just won't be denied.

[cordovacollector]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

A little confused here by your post. So you say kobe is going to be the difference maker in this finals. But you are taking the magic in 7. So are you saying that kobe will stink it up in the finals?

You got it!!! Kobe will be the difference ... resulting in the Lakers losing. Kinda like a Yankees' Knoblauch.

[sportscentury]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

You got it!!! Kobe will be the difference ... resulting in the Lakers losing. Kinda like a Yankees' Knoblauch.

.

[jobathenut]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

I'm sorry,what world series did knoblauch cost the yankees?

You got it!!! Kobe will be the difference ... resulting in the Lakers losing. Kinda like a Yankees' Knoblauch.

[David]

Re: o/t-nba finals thread-lakers vs magic

I learned not to bet against the team you sentimentally want to win. It creates a conflict that makes the games/series less enjoyable.