summers @ gtown tomorrow...

[the_way]

sfhoya99 said:

The Spurs are simply much better than the Pistons. This is how the Pistons have played all year. They got hot last year and played the perfect team for them to play in the Finals. They were never all that good. They are a good team, but as one dimensional as the Suns.

The Pistons have Chauncey Billups as their go-to guy. If Lakers hasn't been as thin as the Pistons, and Bryant hadn't been a ball hog, that would've costed them last year year, as well.

Bryant had nothing to do with the Lakers losing. The Pistons were much quicker than the Lakers. The beat them to the ball so many times. The Lakers were already old, and it showed last year. Plus, it didn't help for Karl Malone to get injured. To me its like the Pistons don't even care this year. Really, if you think about it, Indiana was the best team coming into this year before the brawl. During that game before the brawl took place, they were destroying the Pistons. If Ron Artest is on Indiana for the entire season and playoffs, the Pacers are in the Finals, and the series would be 1-1, 2-0 Pacers.

[SFHoya99]

Bryant had nothing to do with it? He repeatedly ran into double and triple teams of players taller than him and forced the ball up.

Game 1 (L) Bryant 10-27, only 4 FTs
Game 2 (W) Bryant 14-27, only 5 FTs
Game 3 (L) Bryant 4-13, only 3 FTs
Game 4 (L) Bryant 8-25, only 2 FTs
Game 5 (L) Bryant 7-21, 11 FTs

In the Lakers' four losses, Bryant was 29-86, a stunning 33.7% from the field. He had only 20 FTs, which he sometimes gets in one game.

Yes, Kobe had nothing to with the Lakers losing. Nothing.

[the_way]

sfhoya99 said:

Bryant had nothing to do with it? He repeatedly ran into double and triple teams of players taller than him and forced the ball up.

Game 1 (L) Bryant 10-27, only 4 FTs
Game 2 (W) Bryant 14-27, only 5 FTs
Game 3 (L) Bryant 4-13, only 3 FTs
Game 4 (L) Bryant 8-25, only 2 FTs
Game 5 (L) Bryant 7-21, 11 FTs

In the Lakers' four losses, Bryant was 29-86, a stunning 33.7% from the field. He had only 20 FTs, which he sometimes gets in one game.

Yes, Kobe had nothing to with the Lakers losing. Nothing.

Who else was doing anything? He was doing what Rip is trying to do now. Win the game himself, because nobody else is stepping to the plate. Who was he going to give the ball to, Derek Fisher!? Slava Medvedenko!> Kareem Rush!? Luke Walton!? Lets be real here. Horry wasn't on the team last year. Karl Malone was injured. 70+lb heavier Shaq alone wasn't going to beat the Pistons. Payton was on roller skates on Defense and his mind was anywhere but playing for the Lakers. Who else was going to put up shots. The Pistons were a better team, and exposed the Lakers weaknesses, which was lack of quickness on defense and offense, and old age with the role players. You don't have to like Kobe, which is obvious that you don't. But lets be real here. If Kobe was that bad, why aren't the Heat in the Finals, and why couldn't they beat a Pistons team that was a lot weaker than last year's Piston squad.

[FHillsNYHoya]

Hoping to read more about our latest verbal and I get to hear about the Spurs, Pistons, and Lakers. Must be my lucky day.

I know it's offseason, but the stream of consciousness in this strand is getting pretty long. Can we circle back to Summers and put the NBA back where it belongs (barring that, at least on the appropriate board)?

[the_way]

fhillsnyhoya said:

Hoping to read more about our latest verbal and I get to hear about the Spurs, Pistons, and Lakers. Must be my lucky day.

I know it's offseason, but the stream of consciousness in this strand is getting pretty long. Can we circle back to Summers and put the NBA back where it belongs (barring that, at least on the appropriate board)?

It would help if you would contribute something. Does it bother you that much that there is a tangent. Geesh, I've never seen a more anal-retentive message board in my life. I thought this was a G'town board. Not GW.

[Cambridge]

Slava Medvedenko!>

I'm petitioning that the ! and > are officially added to his name. As far as I'm concerned, that's how it should be spelled from now on. I will not compromise on this.

[the_way]

cambridgehoya said:

Slava Medvedenko!>

I'm petitioning that the ! and > are officially added to his name. As far as I'm concerned, that's how it should be spelled from now on. I will not compromise on this.

LOL! ;D

[hoyalove4ever]

Please, no knocks on Sead. In the Princeton system, he could contribute if he could find a way to play a little bit of D.

[JohnJacquesLayup]

theway said:

fhillsnyhoya said:

Hoping to read more about our latest verbal and I get to hear about the Spurs, Pistons, and Lakers. Must be my lucky day.

I know it's offseason, but the stream of consciousness in this strand is getting pretty long. Can we circle back to Summers and put the NBA back where it belongs (barring that, at least on the appropriate board)?

It would help if you would contribute something. Does it bother you that much that there is a tangent. Geesh, I've never seen a more anal-retentive message board in my life. I thought this was a G'town board. Not GW.

Opinions on the anal-retentive nature of the message board would best be expressed on the 37th & O board. Thank you.

[the_way]

johnjacqueslayup said:

theway said:

It would help if you would contribute something. Does it bother you that much that there is a tangent. Geesh, I've never seen a more anal-retentive message board in my life. I thought this was a G'town board. Not GW.

Opinions on the anal-retentive nature of the message board would best be expressed on the 37th & O board. Thank you.

LOL! I'm at 18th and I st, right now. How would you get to 37th and O from my location. Gee, getting around this message board sure takes up gas. Doesn't it? ;D

[FHillsNYHoya]

Great reply, way. That may work on the playground, but not in big-boy world.

Not intended to be anal-retentive. Just someone working quite a bit, with a wife and three kids at home, looking to find out new things about incoming players when I have a free moment. Thought a post entitled "summers @ gtown tomorrow" might provide that. I was obviously wrong.

I apologize for the disruption to your world.

[the_way]

fhillsnyhoya said:

Great reply, way. That may work on the playground, but not in big-boy world.

Not intended to be anal-retentive. Just someone working quite a bit, with a wife and three kids at home, looking to find out new things about incoming players when I have a free moment. Thought a post entitled "summers @ gtown tomorrow" might provide that. I was obviously wrong.

I apologize for the disruption to your world.

Apology accepted.

[MCIGuy]

Disagree. People understimate Rip. Rip is the perfect compliment to Billips in the backcourt. Billips and Wade in the backcourt won't work because their styles don't compliment each other. Its like when the Wizards traded Rip for Jerry Stackhouse, and everybody thought the Wizards got the better end of the deal. Well, everybody was wrong. With the way the Piston's team is currently constructed, I'd take Rip over Wade. Rip fits better with this team. The problem the Pistons are having is not showing up. Its like they have the snooze button on. The Spurs are good, but they aren't THAT good. I think the ESPN hype machine is going a little overboard with the Spurs and the "new jordan" Manu Ginobli. The Pistons aren't playing hard. But my "conspiracy theory" instincts tell me they were "instructed" or "mandated" to do so, and you will see a different team the next two games when the series gets tied up.

The Pistons did not play hard in the first two games? Oh, really. Typical. You must be a member of the team because all I've heard from them are excuses after every loss. Refs cheated them. David Stern wanted them to lose. And, of course, they simply didn't play hard. Spare me that nonsense. The Spurs simply whipped them. Should I say that the Spurs didn't play hard in game three? No, I wouldn't. And the Spurs would never say that because, boring or not, they have class. Detroit has zero. Every time they lost to Miami they refuse to give the Heat any credit. The reality is that the Heat was a better team. If Shaq had been healthy and if Wade had not gotten injured the Pistons would have gone fishing. What's up with the Pistons, their fans and Stephen A Smith? They all seem believe that this Detroit team is up there with the Lakers and Celtics of the 80s. Get real. They are a gritty team that plays tough, but the talent across the board is just not there. If its true that the Pistons indeed did not play all that "hard" during their post season losses then they are bunch of frauds. Real champs don't take so many games off during the playoffs. But I think the real problem is that they are simply sore losers. Never has a defending champ whined so much. I hope the Spurs finish them off pretty soon.

[the_way]

mciguy said:

Disagree. People understimate Rip. Rip is the perfect compliment to Billips in the backcourt. Billips and Wade in the backcourt won't work because their styles don't compliment each other. Its like when the Wizards traded Rip for Jerry Stackhouse, and everybody thought the Wizards got the better end of the deal. Well, everybody was wrong. With the way the Piston's team is currently constructed, I'd take Rip over Wade. Rip fits better with this team. The problem the Pistons are having is not showing up. Its like they have the snooze button on. The Spurs are good, but they aren't THAT good. I think the ESPN hype machine is going a little overboard with the Spurs and the "new jordan" Manu Ginobli. The Pistons aren't playing hard. But my "conspiracy theory" instincts tell me they were "instructed" or "mandated" to do so, and you will see a different team the next two games when the series gets tied up.

The Pistons did not play hard in the first two games? Oh, really. Typical. You must be a member of the team because all I've heard from them are excuses after every loss. Refs cheated them. David Stern wanted them to lose. And, of course, they simply didn't play hard. Spare me that nonsense. The Spurs simply whipped them. Should I say that the Spurs didn't play hard in game three? No, I wouldn't. And the Spurs would never say that because, boring or not, they have class. Detroit has zero. Every time they lost to Miami they refuse to give the Heat any credit. The reality is that the Heat was a better team. If Shaq had been healthy and if Wade had not gotten injured the Pistons would have gone fishing. What's up with the Pistons, their fans and Stephen A Smith? They all seem believe that this Detroit team is up there with the Lakers and Celtics of the 80s. Get real. They are a gritty team that plays tough, but the talent across the board is just not there. If its true that the Pistons indeed did not play all that "hard" during their post season losses then they are bunch of frauds. Real champs don't take so many games off during the playoffs. But I think the real problem is that they are simply sore losers. Never has a defending champ whined so much. I hope the Spurs finish them off pretty soon.

So ,I take it you are not Pistons fan. I'm not a Pistons fan, nor is anyone comparing them to great teams of the last 20 years, but they are a good team. I keep hearing that if Wade and Shaq were healthy then Miami would have won. Its funny, because nobody mentions how Rip Hamilton isn't healthy. How his calf injury is nearly identical to the seriousness of Shaq's thigh injury. Or how Rasheed Wallace's hamstring has bothered him all playoffs. But nobody says anything about that. This is the playoffs. So lets stop talking about excuses because it works both ways. Shaq and Wade crying like little girls about being 60% or 70%. If you can get on the court, you can play. This Spurs team is worst then the last 2 championship Spurs' squads. Detroit can beat them. When Detroit feels like playing, you won't see the Spurs walk all over them like the first 2 games.

[Deleted]

I for one never heard Shaq or Wade cry. Any crap about ANY player's injury is generally a 99.999999999% media creation.

Just like EVERYONE in the media crowning the Spurs after two games, Manu as the Next Jordan ("Scoop" Jackson, I'm looking in your direction), etc. When are these idiots in the national press going to start practicing some JOURNALISM and report and analyze what is going on... not some wild predictions after 8 quarters of hoops?

[MCIGuy]

So ,I take it you are not Pistons fan. I'm not a Pistons fan, nor is anyone comparing them to great teams of the last 20 years, but they are a good team. I keep hearing that if Wade and Shaq were healthy then Miami would have won. Its funny, because nobody mentions how Rip Hamilton isn't healthy. How his calf injury is nearly identical to the seriousness of Shaq's thigh injury. Or how Rasheed Wallace's hamstring has bothered him all playoffs.

Oh, come on. This is always the reaction of teams and their fans when the other teams have LEGITIMATE injuries. "Oh, well, we were injured too!" Please. Shaq had to sit out a few games in the playoffs. There was actual concern he would not even play in the first game against Detroit. Even when he did his minutes were severly limited inthe first couple of contests. You actually think Rip's injury was on the same level? Wrong. Rip could move quickly and go non-stop throughout the entire series. I don't care how tough he may be, if he had a similiar injury as Shaq he couldn't do that. Not even AI could do that. And are you going to tell me that Rasheed's injury was anywhere near as bad as Wade's? I hope you don't go there. Look, its a given that all players are playing with some sort of injury this late in the season. But most of those injuries are more nagging than detrimental. The Heat's starting lineup could not even practice for the last two games. All five had injuries that kept them out of practice sessions. They didn't whine about it. They didn't use it as an excuse. But those injuries still existed, with the worst of the injuries affecting the team's two best players. You take away the thigh problems for Shaq and the rib problems for Wade and the Heat wins.

[DanMcQ]

ok - off we go to the NBA...

[the_way]

mciguy said:

So ,I take it you are not Pistons fan. I'm not a Pistons fan, nor is anyone comparing them to great teams of the last 20 years, but they are a good team. I keep hearing that if Wade and Shaq were healthy then Miami would have won. Its funny, because nobody mentions how Rip Hamilton isn't healthy. How his calf injury is nearly identical to the seriousness of Shaq's thigh injury. Or how Rasheed Wallace's hamstring has bothered him all playoffs.

Oh, come on. This is always the reaction of teams and their fans when the other teams have LEGITIMATE injuries. "Oh, well, we were injured too!" Please. Shaq had to sit out a few games in the playoffs. There was actual concern he would not even play in the first game against Detroit. Even when he did his minutes were severly limited inthe first couple of contests. You actually think Rip's injury was on the same level? Wrong. Rip could move quickly and go non-stop throughout the entire series. I don't care how tough he may be, if he had a similiar injury as Shaq he couldn't do that. Not even AI could do that. And are you going to tell me that Rasheed's injury was anywhere near as bad as Wade's? I hope you don't go there. Look, its a given that all players are playing with some sort of injury this late in the season. But most of those injuries are more nagging than detrimental. The Heat's starting lineup could not even practice for the last two games. All five had injuries that kept them out of practice sessions. They didn't whine about it. They didn't use it as an excuse. But those injuries still existed, with the worst of the injuries affecting the team's two best players. You take away the thigh problems for Shaq and the rib problems for Wade and the Heat wins.

Look I hear your point, but you need to calm down a bit. Rip's injury is serious. If you watched the series he talked about he how had bleeding and he didn't have is quickness. Go back and read articles and its there. I'm not reaching here. Rasheed's hamstring has been bothering him all season and the playoffs. Everybody is injured in the playoffs. The best team won that series.

[Cambridge]

mciguy said:

Disagree. People understimate Rip. Rip is the perfect compliment to Billips in the backcourt. Billips and Wade in the backcourt won't work because their styles don't compliment each other. Its like when the Wizards traded Rip for Jerry Stackhouse, and everybody thought the Wizards got the better end of the deal. Well, everybody was wrong. With the way the Piston's team is currently constructed, I'd take Rip over Wade. Rip fits better with this team. The problem the Pistons are having is not showing up. Its like they have the snooze button on. The Spurs are good, but they aren't THAT good. I think the ESPN hype machine is going a little overboard with the Spurs and the "new jordan" Manu Ginobli. The Pistons aren't playing hard. But my "conspiracy theory" instincts tell me they were "instructed" or "mandated" to do so, and you will see a different team the next two games when the series gets tied up.

The Pistons did not play hard in the first two games? Oh, really. Typical. You must be a member of the team because all I've heard from them are excuses after every loss. Refs cheated them. David Stern wanted them to lose. And, of course, they simply didn't play hard. Spare me that nonsense. The Spurs simply whipped them. Should I say that the Spurs didn't play hard in game three? No, I wouldn't. And the Spurs would never say that because, boring or not, they have class. Detroit has zero. Every time they lost to Miami they refuse to give the Heat any credit. The reality is that the Heat was a better team. If Shaq had been healthy and if Wade had not gotten injured the Pistons would have gone fishing. What's up with the Pistons, their fans and Stephen A Smith? They all seem believe that this Detroit team is up there with the Lakers and Celtics of the 80s. Get real. They are a gritty team that plays tough, but the talent across the board is just not there. If its true that the Pistons indeed did not play all that "hard" during their post season losses then they are bunch of frauds. Real champs don't take so many games off during the playoffs. But I think the real problem is that they are simply sore losers. Never has a defending champ whined so much. I hope the Spurs finish them off pretty soon.

Shirking responsibility? Whining? Blaming others? Sounds like Larry Brown...qualis pater talis filius