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The TB NBA Playoff thread
- Thread starter burk48237
- Start date
You were celebrating for the right team and you didn't even know it.
Oh man, we just started getting that stuff here locally...very impressive!
I was drinking Fat Tire, Firestone Walker Pale Ale, and Sierra Nevada Summer Brew, oh and Corona, and and Blue Moon.
A keg of blue moon is the one and only thing I have ever gotten sick from. One or two is alright, but that stuff is filling.
Oh man, we just started getting that stuff here locally...very impressive!
New Belgium Brewery is the ****!
Dunno if you guys will ever get it as he's pretty small right now, but Bristol Brewery out of the Springs is even better.
Damn tasty for a Coors product, however!
Oh yeah, very tasty indeed! But it get's to me after the third.
Back on topic...
Never.
Say.
Die.
Orlando will finish this Thursday night in the Q. The Cavs have nothing left, they left it all on the floor of the O-rena (I refuse to call it anything else) tonight, and it wasn't enough.
The NBA has done everything they can to save Nike and Vitamin Water's huge ad campaigns, and failed.
Maybe they'll start to remember that the game is a TEAM game, and no matter how talented one guy is (and LeBron IS talented), he is still just one guy. In basketball, it takes FIVE to win, and the Magic's 5 are just flat better than the Cav's 5.
...but man, that was an exciting game!
Never.
Say.
Die.
Orlando will finish this Thursday night in the Q. The Cavs have nothing left, they left it all on the floor of the O-rena (I refuse to call it anything else) tonight, and it wasn't enough.
The NBA has done everything they can to save Nike and Vitamin Water's huge ad campaigns, and failed.
Maybe they'll start to remember that the game is a TEAM game, and no matter how talented one guy is (and LeBron IS talented), he is still just one guy. In basketball, it takes FIVE to win, and the Magic's 5 are just flat better than the Cav's 5.
...but man, that was an exciting game!
Back on topic...
Never.
Say.
Die.
Orlando will finish this Thursday night in the Q. The Cavs have nothing left, they left it all on the floor of the O-rena (I refuse to call it anything else) tonight, and it wasn't enough.
The NBA has done everything they can to save Nike and Vitamin Water's huge ad campaigns, and failed.
Maybe they'll start to remember that the game is a TEAM game, and no matter how talented one guy is (and LeBron IS talented), he is still just one guy. In basketball, it takes FIVE to win, and the Magic's 5 are just flat better than the Cav's 5.
...but man, that was an exciting game!
Exactly what have they done? I keep hearing this diatribe from people but nobody actually has suggested anything rational to support their claims.
I agree with you about the Cavs. I think they're finished. Lebron keeps putting up some very impressive numbers but they rest of the team just isn't up to it.
They've been marketing and pushing the whole "clash of the titans" Kobe/LeBron thing since about oh...early April...then we started getting the Nike puppet commercials...then the Vitamin Water commercials...the NBA wants a big market/big star versus big market/big star final, and if you haven't been watching some of the "fouls" on LeBron (I have to admit I haven't been watching the west quite so closely, so I cannot comment on that), while he get away with charging and traveling at least 4 times out of 5, then you're not watching. They won't TELL the refs to not make the calls, but the refs are definitely aware of pressure.
As much as I enjoy sports, I am not blind enough to lose sight that it's all about the money. ABC/ESPN is where all the money is coming to the NBA from for the rights to broadcast the finals. ABC/ESPN's money is coming from the advertisers. The advertisers want as much market share as possible during games to get the maximum exposure for their products, so they WANT the Kobe/LeBron confrontation, because that has built-in market share, and they've hyped it to make sure of it.
It makes no difference, LeBron, as great as he is, has no supporting cast, and until he does, he won't be on a championship TEAM, no matter what all the marketing wants.
And it's a shame for the Cavs fans. It really looked like they were going to run the tables, so the machine started just assuming and promoting it like they would. Then they ran into a team that was built to beat them, and the wheels came off. No one told the Cavs fans anything but "your team, because LeBron is on it, is unstoppable, until they run into Kobe and his Laker buddies". On the contrary, everything you saw and read leading up to this point has ignored that there are any other teams playing, and the NBA has promoted this as well in their advertising, if you pay attention.
I don't see much of that. It's probably got to do with the fact that I live in another country and don't see anything other than the games themselves (we don't get the ads or the promos here). I have noticed that for the last 3 or 4 years, Lebron has been getting away with a LOT. He travels more than any other player I've ever seen, and almost NEVER gets called for it. That drives me crazy. The same goes for getting foul calls. I think it's a bit pathetic, honestly.
I think you're short changing the Magic here. Cleveland has a supporting cast, but the roles they play are terrible matchups against the Magic. They wouldn't have ended up with the NBA's best record without a supporting cast. When they're clicking and everyone is able to play their roles, they're a pretty good team. But they're weak at the 4 position offensively, and defensively they can only guard the 4 inside. Mo Williams would have to play like an all star for them to make it to the finals, and I haven't seen that happening. With Flopejao unable to guard Lewis outside (kind of like trying to guard Dirk N out west) and unable to score, and with Williams shooting under 40%, they're in a tough spot against the Magic.
It's funny how critical matchups are in the playoffs. I remember how Detroit use to always beat Orlando because Detroit Had Athletic fours (McDyse and Maxiel) and a lot of length at the three with Prince. Detroit was also the best team against the three on D thru-out the season. Most teams that win with the three die with the three, but their are no great teams this year. While Orlando is flawed so is Cleveland.
Cleveland's problem is the only big man they have that can show on a pick an roll is Wallace and he's only good for about fifteen minutes a game. Cleveland's other problem against Orlando is that they are small at the Three, Pablovic and Szerbiac are both defensive liabilities and neither one can guard Lewis. As far as Mo Williams he hasn't been an All-Star at all in this series. In fact he's been thoroughly out played by Alston.
As far as the officiating, to figure out where the complainers about Lebron's whistle are coming from one only needs to watch the last two seconds of regulation. Lebron drove the lane, Pietras made the mistake of breathing on him. Lebron falls down, borrowing a page from Verflopahoos book, and goes to the foul line to tie the game. On the following in bounds play Cleveland's strong safety (Verflopohoo) tackles Howard while a pass to him is in the air. A pass interference call for sure.
No whistle
OK, OK, yes, the Cavs are a pretty solid team, or they wouldn't have had the best record in the regular season. So, that just means that the Magic are better against THEM than anyone else (and of course their record against the Cavs in the regular season do reflect this - it almost appears that the Magic were "built" to beat the Cavs...
). I am hoping it translates well against whoever comes out of the west...nothing would give me more joy than to see the Magic beat the Lakers in the finals....well, maybe my Saints finally winning the Super Bowl...
...as for the calls at the end of regulation last night, yeah the LeBron on Pietras foul was a flop of Oscar winning proportions...however, as much as I detest Floppy Joe, I'd have to say that was a good non-call, because Howard was doing a good bit of his own pushing and shoving.
I think this series is over Thursday, we saw everything the Cavs had in their tank last night, and the Magic just shrugged it off.
). I am hoping it translates well against whoever comes out of the west...nothing would give me more joy than to see the Magic beat the Lakers in the finals....well, maybe my Saints finally winning the Super Bowl......as for the calls at the end of regulation last night, yeah the LeBron on Pietras foul was a flop of Oscar winning proportions...however, as much as I detest Floppy Joe, I'd have to say that was a good non-call, because Howard was doing a good bit of his own pushing and shoving.
I think this series is over Thursday, we saw everything the Cavs had in their tank last night, and the Magic just shrugged it off.
LeGun is enormously physically talented, but until he gets the "basketball smarts" of Bird, Magic, and Jordan, he'll be behind them in greatness. Can you imagine Larry Bird turning the ball over 8 times or missing all those shots down the stretch like LeGun did last night?
One thing to keep in mind with him is that he is still a KID, he's what, 24 now? Right out of HS to the NBA? He didn't get 4 years of learning the game at the college level like Bird, Magic, or Jordan, he's about where they were as rookies in a lot of ways. He WILL be a great player, no question.
Sadly, he will also continue to get the "benefit of the doubt" on a lot of calls (Charging? LeBron? Heaven forbid!
), which will make him seem even more invincible than he really is....as did Bird, Magic, and Jordan....
OK, OK, yes, the Cavs are a pretty solid team, or they wouldn't have had the best record in the regular season. So, that just means that the Magic are better against THEM than anyone else (and of course their record against the Cavs in the regular season do reflect this - it almost appears that the Magic were "built" to beat the Cavs...
The only thing that would give me more joy would be to see the Thuggets beat the Lakers, and end up in the finals against the Magic. Think about the matchups:
Nene/Howard
Anthony/Lewis
Martin/Turkoglu
Smith/Lee
Billups/Alston
Now *those* are some good matchups! Even the sub matchups are interesting:
PG Johnson/Carter
SG Redick/Jones
SF Pietrus/Kleiza
PF Battie/Balkman
C Gortat/Birdman
Both backup centers have played great, and both benches are solid. AND, the preordained thing totally wouldn't happen, which would make me watch every minute.
As long as you're dreaming, why not throw in a Ferrari and Jessica Alba?
Glad you admitted that - that could easily have gone against Howard. The Pietrus thing was a lame call.
I dunno. The Magic kinda choked at the end of the 4th until Lewis' great shot. They had the game in hand and then let it slip away with stupid shots and turnovers. I think they'll win the series, but I dunno about Thursday. We'll see.
The only thing that would give me more joy would be to see the Thuggets beat the Lakers, and end up in the finals against the Magic. Think about the matchups:
Nene/Howard
Anthony/Lewis
Martin/Turkoglu
Smith/Lee
Billups/Alston
Now *those* are some good matchups! Even the sub matchups are interesting:
PG Johnson/Carter
SG Redick/Jones
SF Pietrus/Kleiza
PF Battie/Balkman
C Gortat/Birdman
Both backup centers have played great, and both benches are solid. AND, the preordained thing totally wouldn't happen, which would make me watch every minute.
True, it would be a great matchup, but the whole point for me would be to see the "lowly" Magic topple the "America's Team" of basketball.
Hey, the Ferrari is in the driveway, and Jessica is on my speed dial!
(Don't overlook the Saints this season...the #1 offense is intact and potentially IMPROVED, and the defense is absolutely better already just by replacing Gibbs with ANYONE, much less someone with Williams' pedigree...I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'...y'know...
)Yeah, it was a tangle, and any call would have been a bad one. One of the RARE good calls by the refs in this series. :scowl:
Yeah, they did let the Cavs slip back in, but when the chips were really down (Lewis' 3-pointer) they did what needed to be done. I really don't think the Cavs, as a team, have anything left in the tank....but, as you say, we'll see....
