kchoya
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Post by kchoya on Apr 26, 2010 8:45:15 GMT -5
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Apr 26, 2010 9:01:36 GMT -5
B2M, ABC, BBD....the East Coast family!!!
What is it we're doing here?
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kchoya
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Post by kchoya on Apr 26, 2010 10:19:42 GMT -5
B2M, ABC, BBD....the East Coast family!!! What is it we're doing here? I'm not sure, but I think MCI was under the belief that some people were unaware that LeBron is a good player. It's certainly his most succinct post ever.
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hoyarooter
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Post by hoyarooter on Apr 26, 2010 11:59:47 GMT -5
How did that song from Hair go? LBJ, IRT, something something something, LSD.
Never mind.
Denver is pulling a collosal choke job here. I like Utah's team, but seeing what's going on in this series without Okur and Kirilenko is ridiculous. Not good for AD. I feel sorry for George Karl for multiple reasons.
I predicted that Dallas/San Antonio would be a war, but I really expected the Mavs to come back and win one in San Antonio.
As for the Lakers, I've been saying for awhile that they're Dead Team Walking. Kobe wasn't pouting. His problems are his gnarly finger is messing up his shooting, and his bum knee is limiting his ability to jump and drive, which doesn't leave a great deal for his offensive game. Put Durant on a healty Kobe and Durant wouldn't have any idea where he is. Yet, the Lakers may still win this series. The team that wins game 5 is going to win it - just not sure which team that will be. I did predict the Thunder in 6, so a Thunder win won't surprise me at all.
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tlphoya
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Post by tlphoya on Apr 27, 2010 14:37:22 GMT -5
MCI, I thought the Miami arena looked a bit empty on Sunday also. It seemed to fill in pretty well but I saw more than a few empty lower level seats. Wade has no help in Miami, its sad. He was disgusted with Beasley near the end of the game and he passed him the ball near the basket and Beasley wasn't paying attention. turnover.
Looking forward to the games tonight - well at least the OKC/LA and Mavs/Spurs game.
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on Apr 27, 2010 17:02:57 GMT -5
People are now claiming that Kobe has lost almost all of his explosiveness. Sam Smith told Kornheiser that Kobe is similar to how Jordan was when he returned from his second retirement to play with the Wizards and Charles Barkley agreed with the assessment. Has Kobe aged that quickly? Last year he was still very, very dominant. You knew he had a short window left at being a dominant player but that short? don't know about that. Kobe is still kinda young but this is what happens I guess when you go directly from high school to the pros: by the time you are get to your early thirties you're looking like a guy in his mid thirties.
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kchoya
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Post by kchoya on Apr 27, 2010 17:25:14 GMT -5
People are now claiming that Kobe has lost almost all of his explosiveness. Sam Smith told Kornheiser that Kobe is similar to how Jordan was when he returned from his second retirement to play with the Wizards and Charles Barkley agreed with the assessment. Has Kobe aged that quickly? Last year he was still very, very dominant. You knew he had a short window left at being a dominant player but that short? don't know about that. Kobe is still kinda young but this is what happens I guess when you go directly from high school to the pros: by the time you are get to your early thirties you're looking like a guy in his mid thirties. I don't think Kobe's at that level yet. But you do raise a valid point that 30 may be the new 35 with the number of games players are playing and the age at which they come into the league. Kobe is 31 and he's played 1021 regular season games. Jordan only played 1072 in his whole career and less than 700 by the age of 31 (he did have a season and a half off). Jordan came into the league at 21; LeBron didn't turn 21 until his third season when he had 200+ games under his belt already. It's why KG is broken down at 33.
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Buckets
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Post by Buckets on Apr 27, 2010 18:19:17 GMT -5
Kobe's played 44,409 minutes at the pro level (NBA & ABA, regular season and playoff), good for 27th all-time. The only guys who aren't bigs ahead of him on the list are Stockton, Miller, Payton, Erving, Pippen, Kidd, Jordan, and Robertson. He has a lot of mileage on him.
Assuming he plays another 10,000 minutes the next 3 seasons (he's averaged 3,536 for the last 9 seasons), he's behind only Kareem, K. Malone, and Wilt, all before he turns 35.
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RDF
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Post by RDF on Apr 27, 2010 23:25:27 GMT -5
Kobe has a bad ankle/knee-and he's playing. This is what happens when you play injured and to Bryant's credit--he's not whining about it.
Thanks to OKC for not showing up tonight and playing awful basketball. Take your game with you!
Brooks should've called a timeout the minute Westbrook drove to hoop, got clobbered, no call and then looked at refs. You are NOT going to get a call. You have to play your way into that.
Some of these guys really need to watch NBA basketball and not just play video games prior to entering the league. They have no concept of how a game/series will change and they are stupid enough to think they'll get calls in a game where Phil Jackson spent the entire weekend moaning about foul discrepancy, and the fact the defending champions are home in a Game 5 of First Round Series. Non Calls were fine by me, and only player not to make a stink was Jeff--but he couldn't make a shot if he was only guy on court right now.
Got news for Thunder--if you plan on extending the series--better play well on Friday because the officals aren't going to give you a game because you are "home".
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hoyarooter
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Post by hoyarooter on Apr 28, 2010 11:47:00 GMT -5
Kobe has a bad ankle/knee-and he's playing. This is what happens when you play injured and to Bryant's credit--he's not whining about it. Thanks to OKC for not showing up tonight and playing awful basketball. Take your game with you! Brooks should've called a timeout the minute Westbrook drove to hoop, got clobbered, no call and then looked at refs. You are NOT going to get a call. You have to play your way into that. Some of these guys really need to watch NBA basketball and not just play video games prior to entering the league. They have no concept of how a game/series will change and they are stupid enough to think they'll get calls in a game where Phil Jackson spent the entire weekend moaning about foul discrepancy, and the fact the defending champions are home in a Game 5 of First Round Series. Non Calls were fine by me, and only player not to make a stink was Jeff--but he couldn't make a shot if he was only guy on court right now. Got news for Thunder--if you plan on extending the series--better play well on Friday because the officals aren't going to give you a game because you are "home". They'll learn. That's an extremely young team, with hardly any playoff experience at all among their top 9 guys. If they can find a decent center, they'll be hell on wheels in a couple years. I could see Jeff being traded during the off season, so Ibaka can start. I can't believe how much better he is now than he was at the start of the year. He's way more athletic than Jeff, is a legitimate shot blocker, and seems to have already developed a reliable jumper out to about fifteen feet. He still tends to play out of control, but he's only 20. Look the hell out.
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kchoya
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Post by kchoya on Apr 28, 2010 11:51:56 GMT -5
Kobe has a bad ankle/knee-and he's playing. This is what happens when you play injured and to Bryant's credit--he's not whining about it. Thanks to OKC for not showing up tonight and playing awful basketball. Take your game with you! Brooks should've called a timeout the minute Westbrook drove to hoop, got clobbered, no call and then looked at refs. You are NOT going to get a call. You have to play your way into that. Some of these guys really need to watch NBA basketball and not just play video games prior to entering the league. They have no concept of how a game/series will change and they are stupid enough to think they'll get calls in a game where Phil Jackson spent the entire weekend moaning about foul discrepancy, and the fact the defending champions are home in a Game 5 of First Round Series. Non Calls were fine by me, and only player not to make a stink was Jeff--but he couldn't make a shot if he was only guy on court right now. Got news for Thunder--if you plan on extending the series--better play well on Friday because the officals aren't going to give you a game because you are "home". They'll learn. That's an extremely young team, with hardly any playoff experience at all among their top 9 guys. If they can find a decent center, they'll be hell on wheels in a couple years. I could see Jeff being traded during the off season, so Ibaka can start. I can't believe how much better he is now than he was at the start of the year. He's way more athletic than Jeff, is a legitimate shot blocker, and seems to have already developed a reliable jumper out to about fifteen feet. He still tends to play out of control, but he's only 20. Look the hell out. What about one of these lineups: Wesbrook-Durant-Green-Collison-Ibaka or Westbrook-Harden-Durant-Green-Ibaka
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Post by redskins12820 on Apr 28, 2010 13:16:30 GMT -5
Kobe's played 44,409 minutes at the pro level (NBA & ABA, regular season and playoff), good for 27th all-time. The only guys who aren't bigs ahead of him on the list are Stockton, Miller, Payton, Erving, Pippen, Kidd, Jordan, and Robertson. He has a lot of mileage on him. Assuming he plays another 10,000 minutes the next 3 seasons (he's averaged 3,536 for the last 9 seasons), he's behind only Kareem, K. Malone, and Wilt, all before he turns 35. As a Laker fan I'm hoping he doesn't play in the World Championships this summer. He needs to recover.
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RDF
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Post by RDF on Apr 28, 2010 13:32:53 GMT -5
Rooter, I'm not sure they will. Problem with great players is too many of them think they can "do it all" and don't understand the game. Championship basketball is more about mental toughness/focus then it is basketball. It's why so many guys who are average play like crap because they aren't tough enough to handle the pressure or adversity that you'll face along path to a title.
What bothers me--guys are talented and dream of playing pro ball, yet don't understand a damn thing about what it's about. In a tight series, going on the road--you better expect to have to play a high level game and instead OKC had Westbrook, Durant, and Sefolosha begging for calls and whining to officials. Scott Brooks has been in league-take a timeout the minute you see that and let them know how it's going to be. Instead--he lets it get far out of hand and it's never a game.
Kobe Bryant "slowing down" is silly talk. He's played injured all year and haven't heard any excuses from him. He took on challenge of guarding Westbrook last night and that ended the Westbrook easy drives to hoop. Until Lebron wins--Kobe is the best player in world and I think Lebron should get his first championship this season--but you never know how the rest of his gutless sidekicks will play--and I'm looking at Mo Williams and Jamison specifically.
The Heat can't get rid of Beasley fast enough. He's hot garbage. Sadly-he thinks/acts like he's a star and his game is that of a scrub.
Dallas wins easily--and think they've got shot of winning series--but that's if they play JJ Barea less and Butler more. Still think only guy on that team who isn't afraid in a big moment besides Dirk is Terry--and that hurts them in tight games.
Does anyone in Atlanta care about showing up in a road playoff game? Just saying that is a franchise that doesn't have guys whose game travels with them.
Why is Kirk Hinrich considered a "great defender" and what does he bring to Bulls or any team? I still don't understand keeping him over Ben Gordon--if you put Gordon on this Bulls team-they'd have been a 5 seed and given Celtics a tough series again.
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Apr 28, 2010 16:04:20 GMT -5
I think LeBron is better than Kobe right now -- the teammate differential is why Kobe won a title last year and LeBron didn't -- but the Kobe is done talk is silly.
I do think the wear and tear will get to him at some point, but he's driven, a workout fanatic, has already somewhat transitioned his style. Did he start really early, does he play really long seasons and a lot of minutes? Of course, but so did Karl Malone, and that dude lasted forever, and his body thickness should have been much harder on his joints.
Two guards that last tend to be the types who can learn to shoot the lights out and be crafty into their old age. Anyone bet against Kobe? He's not Jordan, but he's not done.
(And by the way, I sports-hate Bryant. Hated him before Colorado, hated him after. So this isn't a Lakers fan kissing up).
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Apr 28, 2010 16:04:51 GMT -5
How much does Beasley affect Wade re-signing? I'd want to get as far away from that dude as possible.
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Post by redskins12820 on Apr 28, 2010 16:47:02 GMT -5
How much does Beasley affect Wade re-signing? I'd want to get as far away from that dude as possible. It's amazing that 2 years ago people we're calling this guy the no-brainer 1st pick in the draft. Amazingly quick fall from grace. Chicago looking smarter and smarter by the day (and along these lines, Portland looking dumber and dumber by the day, although obviously injuries played a role)
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hoyarooter
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Post by hoyarooter on Apr 28, 2010 19:42:52 GMT -5
Westbrook-Harden-Durant-Green-Ibaka
That's a really talented lineup, except that Jeff is an undersized 4 and Ibaka would be an undersized 5. I like him a lot, but I don't think he's Alonzo Mourning. I think Ibaka is more a true 4. Ultimately, I see this team starting Westbrook-Harden-Durant-Ibaka-? Forget that first lineup. Collison is a stiff.
RDF, time will tell. I just think it's way, way too early to give up on OKC because of one game. If they stay healthy and fail to move forward over the next couple years, well, then we can likely say you were right. But when you consider how far Durant and Westbrook have both come in a short time, I wouldn't be so quick to write them off.
As for Kobe, yeah, agree completely. His problems right now are unquestionably injury related. What worries me, though, is that it is possible that his knees are starting to go. They do have a lot of mileage on them. Again, we don't know. I agree 100000000% that he should take the summer off.
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on Apr 29, 2010 17:05:30 GMT -5
The Lakers did in game five what they should have done non-stop even in the two first games that they won in this series: they pounded the ball inside. What is it with NBA teams getting away from things that work? The Showtime Lkers would go to Jabbar all the time if he was scoring. These Lakers get the ball to Gasol and Bynum a lot in the first quarter and then forget about them for the next two quarters. Dumb.
Can't believe the Hawks have lost three straight to a Bucks team that doesn't even have its starting center. Whatever the outcome the Magic is going to have an easy go of it in the second round.
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hoyarooter
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Post by hoyarooter on Apr 29, 2010 19:44:56 GMT -5
The Lakers did in game five what they should have done non-stop even in the two first games that they won in this series: they pounded the ball inside. What is it with NBA teams getting away from things that work? The Showtime Lkers would go to Jabbar all the time if he was scoring. These Lakers get the ball to Gasol and Bynum a lot in the first quarter and then forget about them for the next two quarters. Dumb. Can't believe the Hawks have lost three straight to a Bucks team that doesn't even have its starting center. Whatever the outcome the Magic is going to have an easy go of it in the second round. The Laker announcers (particularly Mycheal Thompson) have been saying the same thing. Truly mystifying.
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RDF
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Post by RDF on May 1, 2010 0:01:53 GMT -5
Nice to see Green show up and play how most of us hoped/know he can--if he did that entire series--this might be going to a Game 7.
Durant was awful tonight--not his shooting but his overall play just sucked. His help defense, his man defense, and his lack of going to get the ball at end when Thunder were clinging to 1pt lead and he needed the ball and to shoot--instead Russell Westbrook takes 3 straight shots and they are heading home--but got the "We're great fans....our future is bright" round of applause that appeases the locals and they'll be the "young team to watch..." which I dont' buy into--because ego will play a factor and their best player hasn't accepted the role of being a great player--he just wants to be a great scorer. Durant from Game 3 needs to be the player who shows up nightly and certainly in postseason and it's a shame how soft he played tonight. When he was on weakside and rotated over only to step aside and give Bynum a layup instead of playing tough and making Bynum go through him--it was very telling--especially when Thunder had come from behind to tie game.
You cannot have this attitude from your marquee player or you'll be the "team that could've" for a longtime--until someone else's time comes along. Watching him stand and not try to get open while Artest didn't do anything but get up on him--he didn't hold him--he just let Durant take himself out of the play-well that just continues to raise the questions as to whether he gets it. I saw type of effort that his hype gets in Game 3 in a 6 game series. Next step--make that the norm. Can he? Yep. Will he? That decides their fate.
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