that'd be a good strategy but i think boston would put in house, or maybe cassell....vlad would guard pierce
That's what I'm saying. Boston has too many scorers which will be difficult to match up for the Lakers.
Well most thought it would go in 7. The funny thing it only took 6 games to beat the number 2 seed while it took 7 games to beat Atlanta and Lebron.
When the fans are already handing the Lakers the title due to ref shenanigans before it has even started, I know my Lakers are back where they belong. On top of the league and a thorn in everyone else's side. Boston is going to be a tough matchup for L.A. (obviously) but they have yet to face L.A. with Kobe and Pau together, and I think that will cause them fits, much like it has everyone else. LeBron showed how to attack Boston and on top of that, if and when Boston sells out to stop Kobe, he can simply drop the ball off to Pau/Lamar or kick it out do the deadly assasins on the outside and have a field day. I fully expect Kobe to play passively at the start of game 1 and work himself into the offensive gameplan as the night goes on. I will caution though that I think L.A. needs to stay within 10 points at all times while in Boston as that team feeds off of the crowd (which will be super hot) and will in turn, run up the score to an insurmountable lead after that. Some things going in L.A.'s favor, they have a vastly superior coaching staff and bench. Boston has a couple of good players off the bench, but L.A. is 12 deep and gets contributions fron just about everybody each game. Phil Jackson is in another stratosphere than Rivers. L.A. also has more experienced players in trgards to the NBA finals. Kobe and D-Fish have about 20 games in the finals and Luke Walton has also played there before. KG, Ray Ray and Pierce have never been. Not to mention Perkins and Rondo. I am stoked for this matchup and will happen to be in Vegas on Thursday so perhaps, I might put a wager or two down on this series. That and Big Brown...
Great 4th quarter by the Celts to win the series in 6. Can't wait until Thursday and hopefully a 17th NBA title.
We minimized Duncan's impact in the series. And I consider Duncan a better player than KG. Boston will need to step up if they want a chance to win or get really lucky. Lakers have experience and energy on their side and that's a deadly combination. I know the Lakers will be reviewing Cavs game tape very closely because Kobe will do what LeBron did and then some but more importantly, will have two excellent teammates to dump it off to. Add that to superior coaching and bench, and Celts better hope their trio can step up to the plate. It'll be a great series regardless of the team history.
I have absolute faith in Joe Dumars, but it seems some changes are needed in Detroit. My thoughts... 1. New coach. I don't think Flip Saunders is a bad coach, but I don't think he's a particularly good one. The team seemed to live and die by the jump shot in this series and in fact, through much of the playoffs (more on this below). If he's such a damn offensive mastermind (Saunders is renowned for having the thickest playbook in the NBA, and I don't know if that's a good thing or bad), why can't he get an easy bucket out of timeouts? Larry Brown was one of the best coaches I've ever seen at getting easy baskets after a timeout and a set play. The other thing is that his tactics in the series were kind of blah. The three guard rotation (Billups, Hamilton, Stuckey) worked well, but we didn't see much of it apart from game 5. The Celtics are a weak ballhandling team, yet he very seldom tried much full court pressure, despite the fact that full court pressure is basically the only reason to have Lindsey Hunter on the team. And while I think the Pistons played hard in this series, they came out flat in games 1 and 3, and through about 3/4 of game 5. Some of that falls on Saunders. Throw in the fact that he's got one year left on his contract and that even in the best of times, it's been a frosty detente between him and Rasheed Wallace, and I think he's gone. And I won't miss him. 2. Easy buckets. As I said above, the Pistons can't rely so heavily on the jumper. They need to get to the basket and get easier scores much more often. Admittedly, a big part of that was Boston's incredible defense in this series. And a wounded Chauncey Billups was another part of that. Even so, you can't settle for jumpers just because you're playing a great defensive team. Chances are, if you're in the Finals, you're going to be playing a great defensive team! So, they need to get to the basket more, and settle for fewer jumpers. A healthy Billups (he wasn't 100% until game 5) will help, as will the continued maturation of Stuckey (who's going to be very good). However, they need either a slasher who can drive and get his own shot (Billups and Stuckey are the only Pistons who can do so) or they need a dedicated low-post scorer. Sheed will never be a great low post scorer, even though he should. Maxiell is more of a garbageman than anything. This brings us to... 3. Amir Johnson. Another major failing of Saunders' was his refusal to play Johnson down the stretch and in the playoffs, instead opting for Theo Ratliff, whose tank was squarely on E. Joe Dumars signed Ratliff with the goal of giving Saunders 6 more fouls to play with against a big man, and it backfired. (And I think he knows it.) Johnson has tremendous potential and should be the dedicated low post scorer this team so badly needs. He's also a hell of a shot blocker. Johnson should get major minutes next year, and that may help the "easy basket" problem. However, they've got to find those minutes first. Which brings us to... 4. So long, old-timers. Rasheed Wallace has one year left on his deal and Antonio McDyess is a free agent. McDyess still has game left, but the need to get Johnson minutes may push him out of town. If Dice comes back, it will be in a backup, 10-20 minute per game role, and I don't know if that's what he'll want. He can still be a serviceable starter or quality 6th man somewhere. Wallace probably won't be traded if Johnson moves into the starting lineup. For all his flaws, Sheed remains a top-notch defender against big men, and they'll need someone to help cover for Johnson's inevitable mistakes. Still, with one year left, Wallace could be a very attractive trade commodity, and I wouldn't be even a little surprised if the Pistons traded him, given all he's put them through. They probably don't win the 2004 title without him, but he also may have cost them the 2005 title with his ill-fated switch off Robert Horry in game 5. And his meltdown last year sealed their demise in game 6 of the Conference Finals. Sheed giveth, and Sheed taketh away. The Pistons' "flip the switch" mentality is embodied by Wallace, another reason they might well look to move him.
So people think these Finals are going to be a walkthrough for the Lakers? I'm surprised at the "expert" predictions so far. Out of 8 ESPN analysts, all of them pick the Lakers to win and only Chris Broussard thinks it even goes 7. Really?
The Lakers have been the best team in the playoffs by far and just dspathed the reigning champions in five games. Both teams have about the same records since February (when Pau joined the Lakers) with L.A. actually a tad better and Boston has shown that it can barely win on the road while L.A. has a winning record on the road in these playoffs. If L.A. can steal one of these first two games, I don't know if it gets back to Boston for games 6 or 7.
my god do i hate the NBA, i know the west coast markets blah blah blah... but games in boston stating at 9:15 or whatever, what the **** is that ****... not ONE day game... and no games on friday night or saturday night... meaning every day there is a game i have to wake up for work at 545 the next morning... **** staying up till 1230 ish to watch these games... **** the nba... **** pisses me off and they do it every year now... at least throw in a sunday day game, or a friday night game... or at least have the boston games with an 8 oclock start, yes its an inconvenience to west coast fans but they will still be able to watch the games without being a zombie the next day at work...
Something else to keep in mind. The Big 3 in Boston are averaging a combined 54.3 points per game in the playoffs, 18.3 rebounds and 10.4 assists. The Lakers big 3 (Kobe, Lamar and Pau) are averaging 64.3 ppg, 25.3 rpg and 12.9 apg in the same playoffs. They are outperforming Boston in seemingly every way. The same goes for the bench. I think the teams matchup well with each other (in terms of a good back and forth series) but I think L.A. maybe the favorite even without homecourt advantage.
Meh. Us west coasters typically get the shaft when it comes to sporting events and the times they start. Quite frankly, I am pleased at the schedule. Although, I think a friday/Saturday game would have been best as well.
come on man, the games start at 3 in the morning for me, and i have to hope for no overtimes because i have to be at work at 6.30, i would love to deal with your scenario
Pau played TD pretty tough and that is the best PF to ever play the game and to say the celtics have more firepower than LA is just ridiculous, LA has the real BIG 3 and a bench and a coach who knows how to use them and btw who is guarding Kobe Bryant, Ray "no ankles" Allen ?
How do the Lakers have more firepower then Celtics? Who's going to guard Ray Allen? Who's going to guard Paul Pierce?
How do the Celtics have more firepower than the Lakers? If the Cavs could nearly succeed with a one man team, why not the Lakers? Pau did as good a job as you can ask for against the league's best PF/C so I don't have any qualms about him guarding KG. Ray Allen? Against Kobe Bryant? If a gimpy Rip Hamilton can do it, so can one of the league's All-Defensive First Team players. It'd probably result in Odom and Walton guarding Pierce, which worked well against Carmelo Anthony.
I think if the Celtics aren't firing on all cylinders, they could be out of this in a short time because of Kobe. I do have confidence in Pau guarding KG. Kobe plans on guarding Allen? I thought he was guarding Rondo? Odom may be able to guard Pierce but I think Pierce will still do a good job. I don't know about Walton.
I think Fisher/Vujacic/Farmar will be guarding Rondo. Kobe and Allen have a little history between them with Kobe the undisputed winner of that one. Ray Allen hasn't shot 50% against him more than twice in the last 3 seasons. Walton's been doing a much improved job defensively in the playoffs. Definitely was a major factor in shutting down Anthony.
Ooo. There was a post in this thread talking about Kobe guarding Rondo but I think that might have been Van Gundy's opinion, not sure. Didn't know about Walton's success, makes sense.
i really don´t worry about ray allen, he is a jump shoter, i think he will be guarded by Kobe actually, paul pierce will be another thing though, this is the toughest matchup for LA, i think it will be a combination of radmanovic, vujacic and walton, maybe ariza if he gets some minutes finally after he is back from his broken bone in his foot, there is no question who is better offensively, imo LA scored 9 more points a game than boston in the regular season and really clamped down defensivly since the playoffs began, boston really is a jump shooting team, if they have an off shooting night they are in trouble.
radmanovic also did a surprising good job on anthony so i wouldnt mind try him first and see how pierce is doin against him, he has the height advantage and maybe this is something that could bother pierce
i think LA´s bench is deeper and better , rivers is really only playing PJ brown and posey from the bench, i read somewhere that the starters played 398 of 480 minutes in the detroit series, they really need to build a lead when LA´s bench is in or they are gonna be in trouble in the 4th with a fresh kobe, lamar and pau
Impressive game by Boston. Really made Kobe work hard. Good team defense. I expect Phil Jackson to make some good adjustments but the first game goes to Doc Rivers, whew.
This is Kobe's series. if he doesn't light it up WADE style in these finals...he won't live it down, and the Jordan comparisons will stop...forever.
I love how everyone said Kobe had an off night do they forget KG missed 9 straight shots? You think he does that every night? KG could have easily had 30+ just like Kobe could've.
