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Arena The NBA Thread

Discussion in 'Community' started by KnightWriter, Nov 16, 2006.

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Which team is the favorite to win the title?

  1. Boston Celtics

    10.5%
  2. Cleveland Cavaliers

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  3. Dallas Mavericks

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  4. Denver Nuggets

    42.1%
  5. Los Angeles Lakers

    5.3%
  6. Miami Heat

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  7. Milwaukee Bucks

    36.8%
  8. Phoenix Suns

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  9. Other

    5.3%
  1. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    the jazz losing means we'll have four compelling first round series in the western conference. how fun is warriors/nuggets going to be? i hope it's lakers/spurs and rockets/thunder but the other way around could be fun too. celtics/knicks is really the only eastern conference matchup that seems like it will be very interesting, but nets/bulls could get good if it turns into a long series.
     
  2. DT421

    DT421 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 6, 2003
    I won't be surprised if Atlanta beats the Pacers in round one.
     
  3. A Chorus of Disapproval

    A Chorus of Disapproval Head Admin & TV Screaming Service star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2003
    I think Golden State/Denver will be the most entertaining series.

    Well...aside from video footage of the 76ers emptying their lockers, Collins holding up 2 middle fingers on his way out the door and Bynum reinjuring his surgically repaired knees by playing Wii after too many bong hits.
     
  4. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    got what i wanted. the rockets don't have enough weapons or enough defense to beat the thunder, but it will be fun to watch harden try to single-handedly beat his old team. meanwhile, i don't expect the lakers to beat the spurs but it's a much better matchup for them and should be competitive and fun to watch.
     
  5. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    Harden and the Rockets vs the Thunder is my favorite playoff matchup. Easily. I don't see the Lakers giving the Spurs much of a series at all. New York - Boston will be fun just for the two cities involved, and to see if Melo tries to meet anyone by the bus. The nuggets are my favorite team to watch, and Steph Curry is a fun player to watch, so looking forward to that series, too. After that, meh.
     
  6. epic

    epic Ex Mod star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 4, 1999
    Proud of the Bulls taking the 5th seed without Rose. Butler has been something of a revelation and Robinson has also picked up some of the Roseless slack. Think they can get past Nets but that'll be it. Pretty weak by the Hawks tanking for the 6th seed, to avoid the Heat in the second round. It's not like they have a chance anyway this year.

    Unfortunately I cant see anything but another Heat championship. Meh.
     
    DarthTunick likes this.
  7. The Great No One

    The Great No One Jedi Grand Master star 8

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 2005
    so you don't think the thunder can take them epic?
     
  8. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    i don't think they can. they play basically the same style, only not as well. mainly because westbrook is such an unwilling passer. the bulls showed that the best way to beat the heat is to make them change their style, make them play physical, and beat them up inside. unfortunately, i don't think there are any teams that play that physical style who are good enough to beat the heat four out of seven times.
     
  9. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    I think with a lot of luck, Indiana could take the Heat. Best team to give them exploitable matchup problems. Or, if the Spurs were healthy. Outside of that, I don't see anyone in a seven game series taking more than two games
     
  10. epic

    epic Ex Mod star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 4, 1999
    I agree with tom. Thunder shouldn't have any trouble getting to the Finals but they play too similarly, and don't cause the Heat enough trouble, to beat them over 7. The Bulls with Rose maybe, but even then I don't think we'd do it without adding someone else who can create their own shot.
     
  11. A Chorus of Disapproval

    A Chorus of Disapproval Head Admin & TV Screaming Service star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2003
    Doug Collins has offered every organization a Masterpiece Theater level demonstration of how to transition oust a massively popular player-turned-coach from behind the bench... without it reflecting poorly on the organization's public image: Host the most self-congratulatory, narcissistic press conference in the history of professional sports. Completely sidestep any notion that you are leaving the position in shame after a collapsed season and, instead, answer each question as if this is your induction speech to the Hall of Fame. City/Team relationship intact. Brilliant.
     
  12. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    Just got home and saw the Cavs axed Byron Scott today.

    I'm not a fan of the move. You can't fire a coach for not winning enough when you don't build the team to win. Well, I guess you can. But you shouldn't. I don't think any realistic candidate brings anything better to the table. The only realistic candidate I sort of like is Brian Shaw. Beyond that, there's a bunch of retreads and rejects, unproven assistants, and college guys who aren't going to make the jump.

    I've seen some overly optimistic Cavs fans talking about Phil Jackson, Tom Izzo, Shaka Smart, John Calipari, and Rick Pitino. None of those are going to happen.
     
  13. Lord Revan

    Lord Revan Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 15, 2013
    Calipari would be the most likely to take it. I think he wants to be an NBA coach and may think he could get Lebron back in Cleveland next year. He and Lebron are pretty good friends iirc.
     
  14. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2000
    Bill Simmons@BillSimmons
    I'm amazed the Lakers made the playoffs. They were 17-25 in a brutal West. No Gasol for 5 weeks. Lost Kobe late. Mike D - Coach of the Year!



    That tweet there sums up my sentiments about these Lakers. After that loss in Memphis in January (which dropped their record to the aforementioned 17-25), I thought the team was done, headed either for a complete disaster of a season (finishing severely under .500) or winning just enough (39-42 wins), but ultimately missing the playoffs. So happy to have been proven wrong, and I don't care what anyone says (Bill Plaschke) about this not being something much to celebrate, I think it is. Obviously the season didn't go the way that many thought it would, but rather than wallow in that, why not celebrate this team accomplishing something? Other wise, what would be the point of following & rooting for the team? Their chances against San Antonio aren't great, but I'm hoping to be proven wrong again.
     
  15. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    i think it's possible that they are a better team without kobe. obviously he is their best player, but they might just be a better team without him.
     
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  16. Eeth-my-Koth

    Eeth-my-Koth Jedi Grand Master star 9

    Registered:
    May 25, 2001
    Heat over Bucks
    Celtics over Knicks
    Bulls over Nets
    Pacers over Hawks
    Nuggets over Warriors
    Grizzlies over Clippers
    Thunder over Rockets
    Spurs over Lakers

    Heat over Bulls
    Pacers over Celtics
    Thunder over Grizzlies
    Nuggets over Spurs

    Heat over Pacers
    Thunder over Nuggets

    Heat over Thunder again.
     
  17. LloydChristmas

    LloydChristmas Baseball and Three-Time Jedi Draft Champion star 5 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    This Knicks-Celtics series is gonna be hard to watch as the Heat face the Bucks. Just hoping whoever wins stays healthy and fresh and so clean-clean for a potential Heat Conference Finals.

    OR THE BULLS COULD STOP THEM, MAYBE WITH ROSE COMING BACK, COME ON DUDE
     
  18. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    yeah, i will watch as much of the playoffs as i can because i love basketball, but rose returning is the only thing (barring a shocking upset) that could really make these playoffs compelling.
     
  19. Circular Logic

    Circular Logic Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2013
    You might have a good point there. I've watched the Lakers with dispassionate interest throughout the season, and noticed in most games that Kobe almost always tends to roam on defense, often leaving his man wide open and thereby unbalancing the Laker defense. He's been culpable of this throughout the latter half of his career, particularly with opposing players that don't demand his respect. Thus, when you watched the games the Lakers played without him, you'll notice the team defense improved significantly. Guys were sticking to their men and playing not just offense as a team, but defense as well. Of course this cuts both ways. The Lakers' offense looked very terrible at times without someone who could create their own shot consistently on the perimeter, and I'm sure Kobe will be missed to this extent.

    Also, should Steve Nash come back sometime during the Spurs-Lakers series, I expect the Lakers' defense to get worse again, especially since Nash's age and being hobbled by injuries transformed him this season from a merely poor defender to a terrible defender. Steve Blake was somehow able to stay in front of Tony Parker in that last Spurs-Laker game, but don't expect Nash to do the same. What little later quickness he possesses is almost totally shot. I am sure nba.com's StatsCube and SynergySports will agree with me with their advanced statistical analysis of Kobe and Nash's defense this season. Thus, I can't see the Lakers upsetting the Spurs. They either will have too little defense to defeat them in a seven-game series, or too little offense. They haven't found the right balance all season. That said, the Spurs look weak enough (they have a worse post-break record than the Lakers) that I don't think they can advance past the second round this year.

    I envision that the Thunder will come out of the West (though the Nuggets could have been a darkhorse had Gallinari not gotten injured) while the Heat come out of the East. That Finals rematch is almost inevitable.
     
    tom likes this.
  20. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2000
    Just spent a few minutes looking through StubHub & Barry's Tickets (.com), and noticed this:


    Average cost of Laker 1st round playoff tickets: $100, starting in the upper bowl.

    Average cost of Clippers 1st round playoff tickets: $21, starting in the upper bowl.


    Lowest starting price of a Laker ticket (for game 4 of their 1st round series) in lower bowl section 107: $275

    Lowest starting price of a Clipper ticket (for game 2 of their series) in lower bowl section 107: $130


    :p
     
  21. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    If the Cavs bring back Mike Brown, I might just be done with the NBA.
     
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  22. Eeth-my-Koth

    Eeth-my-Koth Jedi Grand Master star 9

    Registered:
    May 25, 2001
    Does this make you feel better? Let it go Tunes. The lakers had plenty of good years. Let the crappy Clippers enjoy their one division championship. It'll probably be their only one for the next 30 years.
     
  23. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2000
    Me & a buddy of mine may actually go to Grizzlies/Clippers game 2 on Monday night.
     
  24. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    If you have a friend who claims to hate the NBA but love basketball, make them watch Nuggets-Warriors. Wow.
     
  25. The Great No One

    The Great No One Jedi Grand Master star 8

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 2005
    well, the nets seem to be a much better team than the bulls ATM, based on this game. sure wasn't expecting this kind of blowout.