NBA Playoffs 2009

[Tiger Hawk]

West, Williams & Wally didn't hit a single three today - that won't happen again. On the other side you've got Rafer & Pietrus raining threes like Ray Allen.

I still believe Lebron will get them through, although it's going to be tough. He is the best player in basketball and won't let them fall short.

 

[Ridders]

West, Williams & Wally didn't hit a single three today - that won't happen again. On the other side you've got Rafer & Pietrus raining threes like Ray Allen.

I still believe Lebron will get them through, although it's going to be tough. He is the best player in basketball and won't let them fall short.

No question there, it amazes me how much Lebron has carried Cleveland in this series. They should win Game 5 but winning Game 6 will be incredibly difficult. Orlando just has too many weapons. Gotta love Mo Williams pre-game guarantee of Cleveland tieing the series up.

 

[Mr Saab]

I hope to god none of the magic players come out and say something stupid like TMax did when he led 3-1 vs the Pistons 6 yrs ago.....LOL @ TMAC

 

[Mr Saab]

Could not agree with you more. Look at the the current Denver/LA series. Our front court is getting dominated by the likes of Kenyon Martin, Nene and the Birdman ffs. What happens if LA face a real beast like Dwight. This post season really could be the making of D12.

Dont be so sure. If it is a Magic vs Lakers final series then the Lakers will be good things to win it all.

 

[Ridders]

I would like anything more than to see that happen, but i'm not too optimistic about a series against a Magic team with a contrbutors from all around the board, much like this Nuggets team. If Bynum continues to be a non-factor there is no way Gasol is going to match up against Howard. Not to mention that LA have been pretty bad this series, especially defensively. I reckon we've been outplayed in basically all 4 games, yet the series is tied at 2-2.

On another note, am i the only one who's annoyed at how liberally the the refs are giving out technical fouls. The one called on J.R. Smith on Vujacic was borderline but the one given to Howard after making the play on Varejao was terrible. One more and he misses a game.

 

[andrew057]

On another note, am i the only one who's annoyed at how liberally the the refs are giving out technical fouls. The one called on J.R. Smith on Vujacic was borderline but the one given to Howard after making the play on Varejao was terrible. One more and he misses a game.

You're not wrong, its total bullsh*t. Watch Howard some how get a 7th next game so he misses the potential close out game at home. That said the NBA have the power to rescind a tech foul, which has to be done. If not I think ill lose what little faith I had left in the fairness of the NBA.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

NBA has rescinded Howard's last tech, so he's back on 5.

Big game today, I can see Kobe getting his (I really hope JR Smith starts putting a hand in his face when he's guarding him), and after he ripped the game strategy, I'm sure Gasol will get a few extra touches. Big question is, who's going to help them? Odom & Ariza are injured, Bynum can't stay in the game & Fish, Brown & Farmar have been next to useless (apart from Fisher's defence, which has been excellent). Back in LA, you'd think Lakers, but the Nuggets can almost taste it, they've been the better team all 4 games and have more weapons. Should be a classic.

 

[Ridders]

Happy to hear that, staying on 6 would have been tense. Your right, this game is massive. Gasol needs to get more shots. He's been averaging about 10 shots per game, which is not nearly enough considering no one else apart from Kobe is giving us any offense. I would go even as far to say that this is a must win for LA. Lose this game, and its series over. At the same time, he has to work to get good post position, something Denver's forwards have done a great job of restricting.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

I think he needs to be more assertive, but to be fair on him, he's been getting decent post position - he's shooting over 60% for the series. The problem is Vujacic, Farmar, Brown et al jacking up 20+ foot jump shots like they're going out of fashion. Those three are shooting a combined 32%! Throw in Kobe's habit of going 1 on 5 and it's no wonder he's getting the sh*ts!

 

[Ridders]

Dear Lamar Odom, welcome back to the 2009 NBA playoffs.

 

[McLovin]

To think this team a couple of years ago was running around with starters like Smush Parker, Kwame Brown, and co...

Shannon Brown should be getting more game time imo. Watching him closely, he's developing into a real pest in defence and shooting 3s at a nice clip. A real Phil Jackson type big point guard...

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Damn, the Cavs have really been let down by their support cast. If just one of them had chipped in a bit harder they would be the ones with the 3-1 lead and not the Magic. Faultering at the funal hurdle.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

I read today that other than King James, no Cavalier has topped 20 points against the Magic. And no starter is shooting better than 44% through the 4 games. That's abysmal, however looking on the bright side, career 40% 3-point shooters (Williams, West & Wally) won't continue to miss wide open 3s, as I mentioned a few posts ago. Those shots start falling.....

 

[El Coconuto]

My question to all the blind LeBron fans is, WHAT THE HELL IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEBRON SCORING OUT OF HIS MIND...AND BEING PRAISED....AND KOBE SCORING OUT OF HIS MIND TWO YEARS AGO...AND BEING CALLED "SELFISH!" Seriously, what the hell is the difference? You can't say Kobe that Kobe forced Shaq out and deserved it, because Phil Jackson AND Shaq both admitted Shaq wanted out because he wasn't comfortable being the second scorer. You can't say LeBron has less to work with then Kobe used to, because Mo Williams, Ziggy and Ben Wallace are a billion times more workable than Smush Parker, Luke Walton (version 1), and Kwame Brown. Seriously, what the hell is the difference? Double standards all around. I mean, LeBron James doesn't even want to be the best player in the NBA... he said it was more important for him to be a "global icon". A global freaking icon!!! If Kobe had said that he would've been killed. LeBron says it and the media praise him as a visionary. What a shank. I hope he gets dumped today. But, as always, David Stern will make sure he gets his superstars in the finals. I bet Dick Bavetta refs game five. I bet. Screw you, LeBron. Welcome to my "Shaquille O'Neal Team Of Honourary Buttmunchers". Go Magic, and should we fail, may Kobe bring home the bacon.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

When Bron takes 27 shots to average 35 points a game - with his one and only goal being to win the scoring title, at the expense of anything else - maybe you'd have a valid point. But you don't.

For the playoffs, James is averaging 36 points on 22 shots, along with 7 assists. James is doing everything he can to win basketball games. Kobe was doing everything he could for two straight years to win scoring titles, MVPs, and popularity. He gave up on his team more than once in the playoffs because he wanted to have a sook. He demanded a trade. I'm not saying Bron has been perfect, or that he won't do those things in the future, but they haven't happened yet.

And why mention two of James' best teammates but not Kobe's at the time - Odom? Because Parker & Brown suited your argument better....?

 

[McLovin]

Watching Bron, you can definately tell he's trying to get his team involved. Although he's scoring out of his mind, he's doing it without jacking up shots. Kobe 2 years just didn't trust his team enough...

 

[Joker's Wild]

I read today that other than King James, no Cavalier has topped 20 points against the Magic. And no starter is shooting better than 44% through the 4 games. That's abysmal, however looking on the bright side, career 40% 3-point shooters (Williams, West & Wally) won't continue to miss wide open 3s, as I mentioned a few posts ago. Those shots start falling.....

Williams got 24 against them today and without a doubt it went a long way to getting the Cavs the win. Triple double of 37-14-12 from James helped too :lol:

 

[Ridders]

My question to all the blind LeBron fans is, WHAT THE HELL IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEBRON SCORING OUT OF HIS MIND...AND BEING PRAISED....AND KOBE SCORING OUT OF HIS MIND TWO YEARS AGO...AND BEING CALLED "SELFISH!" Seriously, what the hell is the difference? You can't say Kobe that Kobe forced Shaq out and deserved it, because Phil Jackson AND Shaq both admitted Shaq wanted out because he wasn't comfortable being the second scorer. You can't say LeBron has less to work with then Kobe used to, because Mo Williams, Ziggy and Ben Wallace are a billion times more workable than Smush Parker, Luke Walton (version 1), and Kwame Brown. Seriously, what the hell is the difference? Double standards all around. I mean, LeBron James doesn't even want to be the best player in the NBA... he said it was more important for him to be a "global icon". A global freaking icon!!! If Kobe had said that he would've been killed. LeBron says it and the media praise him as a visionary. What a shank. I hope he gets dumped today. But, as always, David Stern will make sure he gets his superstars in the finals. I bet Dick Bavetta refs game five. I bet. Screw you, LeBron. Welcome to my "Shaquille O'Neal Team Of Honourary Buttmunchers". Go Magic, and should we fail, may Kobe bring home the bacon.

I do think Lebron does try to get his team-mates involved more, but the varying representations of both players has been interesting to see. When i see Lebron score the majority of his teams points these days, he's always labelled as "carrying his team" and "getting no help from his team-mates" by the media. He's never EVER been described as a ballhog, despite the fact that there at times in his scoring binges that he plays as much 1 on 5 ball as Kobe used to. This is probobaly not the case in the regular season, but this post-season, its been amazing how much Lebron has monopolized the ball. I really do believe that his sh*t with Shaq hurt Kobe in more ways than most people realize.

I've somewhat come to at peace with this double standard as i acknowledge that ESPN and the NBA both need Lebron to be great. I mean the guy is only 24 and yet he's already being touted as a potential GOAT. Lebron will never be critized for the same ills as Kobe simply because the ESPN can't afford his reputation to be tarnished, he means to much to them. FMD the only way the NBA gets any extended coverage on sportcenter is if Lebron does something significant.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

My question to all the blind LeBron fans is, WHAT THE HELL IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEBRON SCORING OUT OF HIS MIND...AND BEING PRAISED....AND KOBE SCORING OUT OF HIS MIND TWO YEARS AGO...AND BEING CALLED "SELFISH!" Seriously, what the hell is the difference? You can't say Kobe that Kobe forced Shaq out and deserved it, because Phil Jackson AND Shaq both admitted Shaq wanted out because he wasn't comfortable being the second scorer. You can't say LeBron has less to work with then Kobe used to, because Mo Williams, Ziggy and Ben Wallace are a billion times more workable than Smush Parker, Luke Walton (version 1), and Kwame Brown. Seriously, what the hell is the difference? Double standards all around. I mean, LeBron James doesn't even want to be the best player in the NBA... he said it was more important for him to be a "global icon". A global freaking icon!!! If Kobe had said that he would've been killed. LeBron says it and the media praise him as a visionary. What a shank. I hope he gets dumped today. But, as always, David Stern will make sure he gets his superstars in the finals. I bet Dick Bavetta refs game five. I bet. Screw you, LeBron. Welcome to my "Shaquille O'Neal Team Of Honourary Buttmunchers". Go Magic, and should we fail, may Kobe bring home the bacon.

Damn, the LeBron hate just oozed out.

Regular season the entire Cavs team chipped in above their weight. LeBron wasn't taking the ball from the inbound and running up post to shoot like Kobe was 2 years ago. In the Magic series the support cast hasn't carried their weight. The 4th game had LeBron regularly try and put a team mate through who would then butcher the pass and kill the play.

You mention Mo and Wallace and leave out Odom? Like Kobe had nobody on his team or some sh*t. LeBron has acknowledged for the Cavs to succeed he needs to get the entire team involved. Mo Williams acknowledged this. Everybody knows this. The Lakers 2 years ago weren't a team.

Another playoff triple double for LeBron when it counted

 

[Tiger Hawk]

Williams got 24 against them today and without a doubt it went a long way to getting the Cavs the win. Triple double of 37-14-12 from James helped too :lol:

Very true, but whilst I don't think Williams will go 6-9 from 3 again, at least he found his range. All they need from him, Delonte & Wally is to hit 40% from the open looks they get from James. They do that, they win, simple.

My God the refs were inconsistent though. At the start of the fourth LeBron had a couple drives where there was definite contact but nothing was called. That's fine, just be consistent. However, by the mid-way point of the fourth, EVERYTHING was getting called. It really is amazing that the standard varies not just from game to game, but from quarter to quarter.