vcjack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,875
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Post by vcjack on Apr 16, 2009 0:03:20 GMT -5
That wonderful time of year again when even the grumpiest NBA haters pay casual attention.
East (1) Cleveland vs (8) Detroit
(2) Boston vs (7) A team full of brain damaged infants who didn't realize that a 6 seed is preferable to a 7 seed
(3) Orlando vs (6) Philly
(4) Atlanta vs (5) Heat
West (1) LA vs (8) Utah
(2) Denver vs (7) NO
(3) San Antonio vs (6) Dallas
(4) Blazers (hey look, they finally made the playoffs. good for them) vs (5) Houston
Have at it
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big_homey
Century (over 100 posts)
Posts: 103
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Post by big_homey on Apr 16, 2009 1:11:00 GMT -5
Cleveland over Detroit 4-0
Boston over Chicago 4-2
Orlando over Philly 4-1
Atlanta over Heat 4-3 in a great series
Lakers over Utah 4-0
Denver over New Orleans 4-2
Dallas over San Antonio 4-3
Blazers over Houston 4-2
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Jack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,411
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Post by Jack on Apr 16, 2009 9:35:09 GMT -5
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vcjack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,875
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Post by vcjack on Apr 16, 2009 11:39:59 GMT -5
Just put KG in Paul Pierce's magical wheelchair* and he should be good to go for another round of unnecessary screaming and talking
This gives me a little more hope that the Bulls can pull the upset (and their track record against defending champs is good in the playoffs) but I'm not holding my breath.
*How awesome would a Heat-Celtics series be if both Pierce and Wade decided to play the heroic injury recovery role at the same time?
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SFHoya99
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 17,899
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Post by SFHoya99 on Apr 16, 2009 15:40:56 GMT -5
I will be shocked if this isn't LeBron's first title.
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hoyarooter
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 10,441
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Post by hoyarooter on Apr 16, 2009 19:28:10 GMT -5
Lakers.
I said last year that they weren't ready. This year, despite Bynum getting hurt again and only having been back for four games, I think they are. I'm standing behind my prediction.
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RDF
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 8,835
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Post by RDF on Apr 17, 2009 11:05:22 GMT -5
That wonderful time of year again when even the grumpiest NBA haters pay casual attention. East (1) Cleveland vs (8) Detroit (2) Boston vs (7) A team full of brain damaged infants who didn't realize that a 6 seed is preferable to a 7 seed (3) Orlando vs (6) Philly (4) Atlanta vs (5) Heat West (1) LA vs (8) Utah (2) Denver vs (7) NO (3) San Antonio vs (6) Dallas (4) Blazers (hey look, they finally made the playoffs. good for them) vs (5) Houston Have at it I like Lakers winning the title and rather easily too. I think they would've won last year if Bynum was healthy and having Odom on bench is good--he's too inconsistent to be counted on. Bynum makes Gasol so much more effective on glass. Cavs are heavy favorite in East--and nothing has changed with Garnett being down for most of/if not all the playoffs. Sleeper teams for me are the Blazers and Heat. Wade has been unreal and can win a Series by himself. Blazers are young and talented and have size to throw at teams. I expect Denver to get upset by Hornets too. Don't know why--just think it's going to happen.
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Post by HeartAttackHoya on Apr 17, 2009 11:53:03 GMT -5
rockets over portland in 6. Hornets over D ever in 6. rest of the higher seeds win
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SFHoya99
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 17,899
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Post by SFHoya99 on Apr 17, 2009 12:02:19 GMT -5
Like I said, I got Cavs.
Only guy getting more calls than Kobe is LeBron (and maybe Wade).
But the big difference is, down the stretch, I think Brown puts LeBron on Kobe and he will absolutely shut him down. The reverse can't and likely won't happen -- Kobe isn't the defender he used to be AND he doesn't have the size advantage there.
In a close game, I will take LeBron over Kobe right now in everything but outside shooting.
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hoyarooter
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 10,441
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Post by hoyarooter on Apr 17, 2009 12:07:11 GMT -5
The Hornets are a popular choice, because, despite their solid year, the Nuggets have to prove in the playoffs that they are no longer a bunch of knuckleheads. New Orleans can beat the Nuggets if the Hornets are at full strength - I just don't know if they will be.
I think Dallas has a decent shot against the Spurs, what with Ginobili being out and Duncan hurting. I also think Miami can beat the Hawks. I like the higher seeds in the other series.
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HealyHoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Victory!!!
Posts: 1,059
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Post by HealyHoya on Apr 17, 2009 12:27:33 GMT -5
EAST Cavs sweep Pistons -- Joe D already looking at FAs and draft. Cavs play Z only 20 mins a game to save him for potential matchups with Dwight Howard, then Bynum/Gasol. C's squeak past Bulls -- I'm watching Rondo v. Rose here. Home court + experience get the Celts thru. Magic beat Philly -- I think Magic may sweep this series. Have a feeling it will be much less competitive than ppl think. Heat over Hawks -- I'm taking Wade to light it up.
Cavs over Heat -- only so much Wade can do. Magic over Celts -- C's have the home court but Powe/Big Baby not enough to handle Howard. Alston is underrated.
Cavs over Magic -- 4-1, maybe 4-2.
WEST Lakers over Jazz -- close series/early scare for Lakers. Jazz are 4-seed masqerading as 8 bc Williams/Boozer/Okur/Kirilenko all injured this year. Jazz are dangerous. Williams v. Fisher/Farmar? Yikes - Williams will kill 'em. Okur=match up problem. Jazz=tough D. Nuggets over Hornets -- Billups is the difference. Can't recall a Western Conf 2-seed given less respect. Mavs over Spurs -- too much talent on Mavs for Manu-less Spurs to handle in a series. Spurs advantage Parker/Duncan over Kidd/Dirk is narrow. Mavs advantage with Terry, Howard, Bass, Dampier, Wright over Bowen, Mason, Bonner is too much. Blazers over Rockets -- guess. could go either way.
Lakers over Blazers -- Blazers have owned LA recently but Blazers a year away from being elite. Denver over Dallas -- youth wins (Billups<Kidd, Melo<Dirk, Nene/Birdman<Dampier)
Lakers over Denver
FINALS Lakers over Cavs -- while it wouldn't shock me to see Lebron lead the Cavs to a title, I just can't get around the fact that the Lakers are a deeper, more experienced team. Do I bet on the best player on the court (Lebron by a slim margin over Kobe) or the best team in a seven game series. I say the best team wins -- Lakers
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vcjack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,875
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Post by vcjack on Apr 18, 2009 15:39:17 GMT -5
Ill post what I wrote during the draft.
Derrickrosederrickrosederrickrosederrickrosederrickrosederrickrose
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HealyHoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Victory!!!
Posts: 1,059
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Post by HealyHoya on Apr 18, 2009 18:18:23 GMT -5
My opinion (above) was Rose v. Rondo would be the key to this series. If Rose plays like he did in Game 1, the C's will face a very tough test against a young, long Bulls team.
Cavs over Pistons as expected. Pistons look like they can't wait to get away from each other and start their vacations.
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RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
Posts: 4,815
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Post by RusskyHoya on Apr 18, 2009 23:19:31 GMT -5
Ill post what I wrote during the draft. Derrickrosederrickrosederrickrosederrickrosederrickrosederrickrose I can actually picture you sitting there cackling and muttering that over and over again... Nice to see Deke still out there, grabbing boards and making his mark on the game. A presence on the boards until the end. Edit: Aaaand Deke sends Brandon Roy flying with a classic finger-wag inducing block of a driving dunk attempt. He's still got it, even if he is getting abused by Greg Oden, who looks a couple of years older than him.
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vcjack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,875
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Post by vcjack on Apr 19, 2009 19:18:22 GMT -5
Orlando deserved to lose that garbage. Thank God I don't have to rely on them as my bandwagon playoff team again this year
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azarin
Century (over 100 posts)
Posts: 198
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Post by azarin on Apr 19, 2009 19:19:45 GMT -5
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FLHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Proud Member of Generation Burton
Posts: 4,544
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Post by FLHoya on Apr 19, 2009 22:34:08 GMT -5
Is NBA Kumar taking a job in the Obama administration too?
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RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
Posts: 4,815
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Post by RusskyHoya on Apr 20, 2009 0:17:23 GMT -5
Aaaand someone in Denver decides to make it rain on the court. Excellent.
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FewFAC
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,032
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Post by FewFAC on Apr 22, 2009 17:58:28 GMT -5
As a grumpy NBA hater, I would classify my attention as sporadic, and not quite casual.
I took Cavs, Bulls, Magic, Heat, Cavs over Magic. Lakers, Hornets, Spurs, Blazers, Lakers over Hornets. Lakers over Cavs. Poor Cleveland. This might be as close as they get before LeBron bolts for MSG.
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vcjack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,875
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Post by vcjack on Apr 26, 2009 17:54:19 GMT -5
Pretty good first round games from the league's standpoint. Only one blowout series (and people were tuning in anyways to see Lebron), Jazz made it sort of interesting to keep attention on the Lakers, and two big market teams going at it in crazy games, the cross state series down in Texas taking the place of the great Suns-Spurs rivalry, and series that are usually boring like Houston - Portland are turning out to be incredibly entertaining.
I like LA, Houston, Denver and Dallas to advance in the West and I think Miami and Philly will keep up their momentum. I'm not going to make a pick in Chicago/Boston, except for the awful game 3 each game is going down to final possessions and both teams have proven to be brilliant and stupid at the same time. If it goes to 7, just flip a coin.
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