NBA Playoffs

[erpowers]

Does anyone what to talk about the NBA playoffs? How are people feeling about what has been happening in the first round? Is anyone surprised by any of the results of the matchups? What has been the best game? Feel free to write about anything else you would like to write about that I have not listed.

So far I only watched the ending of the first game against New Jersey/oronto and the beginning of the Lakers/Suns game. Te only thing that surprised me a bit was that the Warriors beat Dallas at home. I had heard that the Warriors could beat the Mavericks, but I did not really think it was going to happen. I still think the Mavericks will win the series. None of the other result have really surprised me. I thought the Bulls/Heat series could go either way so I am not surprised the Bulls lead 2-0. The same goes for all the other matches.

[H2O Man]

1. I have been

a Knick fan for many decades. I don't need to say anything else about that.

Every year, I enjoy watching the NBA playoffs. I tend to like every team at this point. My younger son keeps much closer track of each team, and has players he really likes or dislikes. It's fun for me to sit and listen to him while we watch various games. I'm impressed by the athletic skills, and this is the best time of year for watching intensely played games. Of course, I tell my son that basketball was much better in the late '60s.

[americanstranger]

16. Fellow NYK fan here. I feel your pain.

But look on the bright side - Riley got a crown-ectomy today.

Here's hoping Detroit puts out that Chicago fire, tho. I'd hate to see them get deep into the playoffs and get a high draft pick from the Knicks. That'd be almost too much to bear.

-as

[LisaM]

2. Pistons fan here

It's really hard to get into the first round. It seems as if the games are spread pretty far apart and the first rounds aren't moving along very quickly (not to mention bouncing around three networks). But I like what's going on in the Pistons' series - so far, no real scares, haven't had to overwork the starters. Unfortunately, on both Thursday and Saturday, the powers that be have seen fit to broadcast the Pistons and Red Wings games at the same time (this would NOT happen if they were from New York or L.A.) So I'll be doing a lot of channel switching.

[1gobluedem]

3. Another Pistons fan here

They are the #1 seed in the east but, if you follow NBA media coverage, you'd never know it. But, I sort of like how they fly under the radar too.

[tiptoe]

4. Warriors will surprise the East Coast "experts" (who don't pay attention) and

Charles Barkley, whose exasperation on TNT with the MAVs not pounding on the "midgets" suggests he's got a bet on Dallas.

(A local bus driver thinks the Warriors will sweep Dallas! D'oh!!)

8) Which team will win this series?

21.2% Warriors, 4-3
21.2% Mavericks, 4-1
19.5% Mavericks, 4-2
15.7% Warriors, 4-2
8.8% Mavericks, 4-0
8.5% Mavericks, 4-3
3.0% Warriors, 4-0
2.2% Warriors, 4-1

Total Votes: 17,947

[BlooInBloo]

9. I don't think GS will win a game until next season.

[nolabels]

10. The Warriors got the split and now must hold court

A hungry Oakland crowd could pump them up a little too

[tiptoe]

5. Iverson played superbly with Carmelo vs San Antonio (better than I've seen before). If AI continues

as in first game (and dishes as well as shoots)...and with Nene emerging to present unexpected interior matchup problems for SA (to go along with Camby's strong rebounding and shot-blocking), Denver can upset San Antonio. J.R. Smith and Blake performing just-average only increase Nuggets' chances.

Key Matchup - Sportsline.com
Nene becomes the talk of the opening weekend of playoff action, going toe-to-toe with Tim Duncan, and let's face it, coming out on top. The Brazilian played like he didn't have a care in the world and had no idea who Duncan was.

    Game 1 Stats
Duncan         Nene
39:48    MIN   37:33
    14    PTS   13
    10    REB   12
     7    AST    2
  41.7   FG %  41.6

http://tinyurl.com/QKK23

[Bluzmann57]

6. At this point, the Bulls are better than the Heat

Duane Wade is not 100 pct. O'Neal, while still the dominant big man in the game, is showing his age, and the surrounding cast doesn't really look all that good. The Bulls, while they don't have a Wade/O'neal type of superstar, play as a team and Ben Gordon, as well as Luol Deng, are emerging as two of the best players in the game. The Bulls will win this series in something like six games, and then will give the Pistons all they can handle.
I think the Suns will sweep the Lakers, and then perhaps we can not hear any more Lakers talk. I also think the Mavs will end up taking out the Warriors in the end. I heard some sports commentators state that the Spurs are a "boring" team, but since they have won three of the last eight championships, I guess they are pretty damn good. They will win their series as well. As far as the east goes, I have already predicted the Pistons will win, and win easily, the Bulls will take out the Heat, and the Nets will prevail over Toronto.

[Rican1]

11. Bulls up 3-0 on Heat

The Bulls are a bad matchup for the heat, their too young and quick for the defending champs. I think the bulls will give Detroit a tough series but lose in seven due to the lack of offensive post play. Its too bad the bulls lost that last game of the season to the nets and dropped from the 2nd to the 5th seed. They would have had a better chance against Pistons if they meet them in the finals. I think if the Pistons would have had to play the Heat in the 2nd round they would have been beat up for the next series.

The Nuggets are playing the Spurs tough, but I still see San Antonio coming out of the West, and beating either the Pistons or the Cavs in the finals.

[Phredicles]

7. Just enjoying seeing the Lakers make like the Hindenburg...

:evilgrin:

[EmmitFitzhume]

8. Agreed

and now Kobe is complaining about the talent level of the Lakers. Maybe he should have thought of that before the Shaq trade and kept his ego in check. I would expect him to put up about 40 shots in games 3 and 4.

There have been some great games so far, considering it's the 1st round, particularly the Mavs/Warriors series.

[Tektonik]

13. Let's see how Kobe performs for the 4th game and see if the series is lost or not

I don't think the Lakers are better than the Suns, but I do believe if Kobe (the best player in the league) can sustain some ridiculous stat lines for a few games, the Lakers could eke out a series win versus the Suns, but Kobe will have to score 40 each game, if not more, to even make this a possibility, for the Lakers are still banged up and really not all that talented.

[Tektonik]

12. I'm enjoying watching the worst champion since um the late 70's about to be sweeped by the Bulls

The Heat are a joke and hopefully will realize that soon when they will lose the 4th game of the series soon.

[americanstranger]

15. Ha! Swept!!

Riley Retirement Watch is on.

He'll be gone by mid-week. He can't stand being a loser, and the Bulls embarrassed him.

That said, here's hoping Detroit chews CHI up and spits them out. I don't like Scottie Skiles much, either. :)

- as

[Bluzmann57]

18. Don't look for it

The Pistons may win the series, but I think the Bulls will give them all they can handle. 20-8 since the AllStar break. Deng is emerging as a potential superstar, as is Ben Gordon. And without the coaching of Skiles, they would not be there.

[Bluzmann57]

17. One thing about the Bulls

They do not have any "marquee" players, at least not yet, but they play very well as a team. Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and Kirk Hinrich usually score the most, but without the addition of Big Ben Wallace, there is no way the Bulls would be there. Nocioni, P.J. Brown, Duhon, and even Sweetney contribute a lot as well. They are hitting on all cylinders right now and will be hard to beat. The Bulls/Pistons series should be a very good one.

[trumad]

19. I don't know...

Wade playing at 1/2 half his speed because of injury....that will hurt ya think?

[americanstranger]

20. I think they ended up depending on Wade entirely too much.

They should have tried to go younger after winning last season, instead of thinking they could stand pat and keep up with younger teams.

Wade's great, but there's no way he could have carried that team against a young, quick team like the Bulls. Probably not even if he was at 100%.

I think a lot of the team is going to retire after this, and Riles is really going to have to think on his feet to keep them competitive. Having said that, he already rebuilt the team on the fly once, so it can be done.

And having said that, I'm not entirely sure that Riles is going to hang around.

- as

[greenbriar]

14. GO SPURS

YUP

[BlooInBloo]

21. I truly don't understand people touting anyone but Nash for MVP.

[erpowers]

22. The Reason

The reason so many tout other players, like Kobe, for MVP is that on any given night Nash may be the best point guard in the league, but the question is whether he is the most valuable player in the league. I do not think Nash is the most valuable player in the league. I contend the Suns would be just about as good of a team with Nash. I think you could put just about any good point guard on the team and they would win. However, if you look at the Lakers the argument could be made that without Kobe the Lakers are not in the playoffs. I contend Kobe should get the MVP award this year and should have gotten it last year. Nash is probably the most outstanding player in the league, but he is not the most valuable player in the league.

[THUNDER HANDS]

23. i agree

Jason Kidd should be the MVP. Without him the Nets don't even make the playoffs, let alone blow the doors off Toronto like they're doing tonight, 82-50 with 2:44 left in the 3rd quarter.

[americanstranger]

24. If the Lakes don't get out of the first round...

...Kobe gets jack.

Let's remember that the Suns won 23 games the year before Nash got there. His shooting percentage is nearly 15 points above the league average, and he shoots 50% from downtown.

He tied a playoff record for assists in a half today (17), and his team walked all over the Lakers.

Kobe had, what? Three points in the fourth Q?

You can say that Nash hasn't won anything in the post-season for the Suns yet and Kobe has. But Kobe hasn't won a thing since Shaq headed East, either.

If Phoenix wins this series, Nash is a lock for MVP.

- as