NBA Playoffs

to Burton13
It must feel terrible to, instead of being able to root for your team, having to root against teams. The Ariza play is not a foul, I'm not really understanding your perspective on that play. The fact is you hate Kobe and the Lakers, and as bad as you don't want to admit it you would root for the Russians instead. The Lakers could be playing an LPD team and your going to pick the LPD team and try and justify your pick, strictly because your hatred toward them. Heres a Fact for you: The Lakers are the best TEAM in the league. When they play to their potential there's no team in the league even close, including the Cavs. Right now they need to work on consistency, I have yet to see the entire team click at the same time in the playoffs so far, but when they do it's going to be scary.
I think the better series will be on tonight. The Magic give match up problems for the Cavs.

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Originally Posted by CoeburnCane

Care to tell us where Phoenix is in the 2009 NBA Playoffs this season there hoss? :D

At least we've got a team that we root for that's still in it--you ain't got a dog in this fight.

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You mean Phoenix still has an NBA franchise? It's been so long since we've heard from them I had forgotten.
I'd be a Laker-hater too if I were a NONES fan,considering how badly Kobe and his buddies have abused 'em over the years.

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Originally Posted by Burton13

I don't know which game yall were watching, but the Nuggets didn't have this tremendously great game and was out played. The Nuggets played "okay", still outplayed the Lakers and handed this one to them. Better hope I'm wrong about game 2, because the Lakers will be in trouble if the Nuggets win it.



Lebron>Kobe..I'll go ahead and say it. He's rebounds, blocks, passes, penetrates, steals better and shoots just as good..Lebron is a better teammate and a better all-around player.

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Uh, Melo will not go off for 39 again. I guarantee that. The front line of the Nuggets also played above their heads. The only one who did not player better than expected was Billups, so yes overall I think the Nuggets played better than expected and still lost, while the Lakers played sloppy.


I'll give you part of what you say on Lebron and Kobe, but I do think Kobe is a lot better overall shooter. Lebron is the greatest driver ever, but his shot isn't great. Its better than in the past, but not great, and he never has been the person to really put teams away late in the game. Lebron should rebound better because he has more size. Blocks is really about even (remember Kobe stuffing Yao twice in one series). Passing is not a big difference, and Kobe is the better defender.

Things Kobe does better:
Shooting/Defense/Finishing Games/Game on the line shots

Things Lebron does better:
Finish at the basket/Rebound

The rest of their game is nearly equal in my opinion.

You lost credibility when you said Lebron and Kobe are equal on shooting ability.

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Originally Posted by Unchained

You mean Phoenix still has an NBA franchise? It's been so long since we've heard from them I had forgotten.
I'd be a Laker-hater too if I were a NONES fan,considering how badly Kobe and his buddies have abused 'em over the years.

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Well I guess you must have just started watching the NBA this year because that's a pretty ridiculous statement. When was this abuse occurring? I must have missed it. In 06 the Suns sent LA home packing in the playoffs, in 07 the Suns sent LA home packing..since I started watching PHX in 04 when Nash came over, they've beat LA most of the time. I do hate the Lakers always have, but it's not because they've beat up my team...I just hate them, plain and simple. I always root against them, no matter who they are playing or where my team is...which has been one of the top teams in the league the past 5 years.



Now back to the Lebron/Kobe argument.

Lebron 2nd in scoring, 6th in assists, 7th in rebounds, 5th in steals..MVP leading his team to the best record in the NBA this season. Kobe is a good defender, not great like everyone makes him out to be...he's usually assigned a weak offensive opponent to save energy for offense, I'd look good too. Again, a good defender but not one like I'm always hearing about. Lebron is shooting in 50's this year, i've seen his shooting has improved tremendously this year and yes, they are around the same. Kobe, as of right now, is more clutch when it comes down to that last second shot...that doesn't mean he's that much better of a shooter throughout the whole game. I'll take Lebron on my team over anyone in the NBA, he's 24 and the best player in the game.


That whole "if they played to their potential" hasn't worked when I used it and won't work now. There are a lot of teams that'd be great if they "played to their potential", LA hasn't..Cleveland has exceeded their potential and IS the best team in the league. As for Denver, again they didn't play all that well. They got out-rebounded, committed just as many TO, their defense was awful in the second half and their offense wasn't that good either - not enough shots taken... if they had hit their FT, they would have beat LA by double-digits. That's not a great game, thats barely par. The Nuggets let that one get away and I don't think it'll happen in game 2, like I said LA better hope they win and be up 2-0 going to Denver.

wow ive missed a lot.

ok ill start with den/la

yeah LA fans, denver gave that one to you. melo played the best game of his playoff career so far, then having 6'0 anthoy carter trying to throw the ball in. Kobe does whine a lot, but most NBA stars do, it doesnt bother me, but i also pay little attention to him when he does, so if it is really a foul his constant bickering causes me to just write it off.
and denver didnt play that well, nene was a nonfactor, and billups and smith could have played better. but LA didnt play that bad either, kobe had 30 points, pau gasol was effective, ariza played better than he had been, and fisher hit some big shots.
denver will beat LA at least once, probably twice, maybe three times, but i think denver will really regret this one and lose in 6, but they could win, if LA comes out flat, like they have been, denver will win, because they are really good, LA isnt that much better than they are, in reality the teams are almost dead even;
melo<kobe
billiups>fisher
josh smith>ariza
kenyon martin=lamar odom
nene<pau gasol


orlando can beat cleveland, but to the person who said orlando was better, i dont think so, and i think cleveland will beat orlando, because they can bang with howard and score like crazy, and rashard and turkulo wont score 22 in teh second half again.
but if lebron has some fatigue, cleveland is in trouble.

but i think the consesus at the start of the playoffs holds true, with cleveland and la playing, but to the person who said LA is def. better than Cleveland, i disagree;
williams>fisher
lebron=kobe
west=ariza
i think odom is slightly better than ben wallace at this point
i think gasol and big z are extremely close, maybe gasol by a small margian.

and yes, i said lebron=kobe
they cancel each other out, they will both get whatever they want, and can score at will.
kobe is a better shooter and defender, but lebron is a better driver and a better passer, so they are about even, kobe is more clutch, lebron has more heart.

You do realize with your comment about Nene that he, Birdman and Martin combined to outscore LAs frontcourt by 40 points. That won't happen again IMO.

knock on wood... but man, it was so good seeing Orlando go into game 1... after a tough 7 game series, and steal a win from Cleveland!!!

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Originally Posted by 1inStripes

You do realize with your comment about Nene that he, Birdman and Martin combined to outscore LAs frontcourt by 40 points. That won't happen again IMO.

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nene, birdman, kenyon= 37
gasol, odom, bynum=25

12 points, not 40.

bynum is terrible right now, so expect the denver frontcourt to dominate the whole series.

nene had 14 and 5 rebounds, he will get more rebounds than that, i guarantee it.

billups only had 18, when hes usually good for 20 at least. melo wont score 39 again, but billups wont score 18 again either.

so sorry LA fans, denver didnt play that well, you guys might be in trouble

Denver better be getting a decent lead and holding on to it, officiating is what I've been expecting in LA.