michaeljohn

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Wide open season. Please vote and discuss.

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BackdoorJesus

I'll always pull for los Lakers...

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michaeljohn

This thread is 2 weeks old and quite dull, let's get it going to the potential it has! Certainly, this promises to be the most exciting playoff season ever to hit the NBA, with each of the 10 poll teams having a shot at the title....

Let's look at the east first. Logic will say the only teams with a chance are Boston and Detroit to make it to the finals. Who wants to count out LeBron James and his cast of nobodies? Detroit won't ignore them ever again!

Seriously, it looks like the Cavs will end up with the number 4 seed, playing into the Celtics bracket in round 2. So, the Pistons may miss them and face Boston in a "You pick 'em" eastern final.

As far as the west goes, whoever advances will look like a genius for the late season moves they may have made.

Arguably, Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Antonio made decent trades in the end. Houston is on a tear without Yao Ming. Utah is deadly at home. Pull a road upset, and they could win every series. New Orleans doesn't get much press, but they will have a say in the finals. They are a great road team....

The number one west seed is critical, to get an "easy" first round opponent. Ask Dallas about that last year when they faced Golden State, who may just be the number 8 seed again....I predict the best record in the west will be fortunate not to lose more than 24 games. Have a look at the schedule yourself and see, all face some tough road trips, and in the near future...

Anyway, the west is so close, no telling what the first round pairings will be. I say the west will win the finals, but that's my opinion. They will have a tougher playoff route which will strengthen them further. There can only be one emerging from the west, should be exciting to see who makes it!

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joerockhead

Go Nuggets!!!!

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Axenos1

I have watched exactly one half of one NBA game this season, that being the Celtics and Lakers, the one with all the hype. I am aware that the Rockets are on a tear, and I am aware that blockbuster trades have been made.

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like the NBA is irrelevant. College basketball is as popular as ever, but the NBA playoff run can't even get close to the amount coverage of the NFL Draft or MLB spring training. When your league's biggest drama is trumped by another offseason hype, you're in trouble.

I'm going to vote, because I believe it's important to have an opinion about everything, but I'm not going to pretend that I'm very interested in the final outcome.

Uhhh........Suns?

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michaeljohn

well, thanks for your post. I know there are many non-NBA fans out there, but expect the band wagon people to be showing up come playoff time! Last year, there were perhaps 4 teams with a legit shot at it all. Dallas bowed out in the first round, Phoenix in the 2nd, and Detroit in the 3rd.

This year, the TV ratings will go through the roof!

I'll devote a little space to all the contenders, I wish someone would chip in with their opinions....

Phoenix Suns. Yep, they could be the next champs. They have had an exciting team since Nash joined them. 2 things elminated them last year, the suspensions at the end of game four versus San Antonio, and the cheating referee. However, forget all that. These guys are good, and they are hungry. Yeah, they have lost plenty of recent games since Shaq joined them, but they won't miss the playoffs. The "Big Aristotle" will be through in a season or two, but don't piss him off now! If they make it to the second round, they will have just as good of a shot as anyone to make it to the finals. If I were the Lakers, Spurs, or Mavs, I wouldn't want them in my bracket!

Shaq has had a great career. Winning a title with a 3rd team is exactly what he wants, and he just may get it before he retires. If not this year, he has another run in him starting with a good plan for him from game 1 of the new season. Oh, don't forget Nash, Stoudemire, and the rest of this fine team.

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canu

S.A.Spurs again in 2008

michaeljohn

Houston Rockets: Everyone wrote them off when Yao Ming went down for the season with an injury...But they keep on winning, Winning streak is now at 20 games, and they could be in a tie for first in their division as soon as today; New Orleans at home leads San Antonio by 9 at end of 3rd quarter. NO will be a half game out themselves if they win this....

First question is, how far will this streak go? Knicks set a record in 1969-70 with 18 straight, Milwaukee broke that the next season with 20, and the Lakers torched that a year later with 33. All three teams won an NBA title the year of their streak. Plus, the Lakers of 1999-2000 won 19 in a row and also won a title. Based on this, Houston wins it all....

However, maybe they are peaking too soon? Or maybe they will just keep on winning! For the record, here is their schedule up to 34 wins in a row, if they can do it:


Friday, Mar 14 8:30 p.m. Bobcats
Sunday, Mar 16 3:30 p.m. Lakers
Tuesday, Mar 18 9:30 p.m. Celtics
Wednesday, Mar 19 8:00 p.m. @Hornets
Friday, Mar 21 10:30 p.m. @Warriors
Saturday, Mar 22 10:00 p.m. @Suns
Monday, Mar 24 8:30 p.m. Kings
Wednesday, Mar 26 8:30 p.m. Timberwolves
Sunday, Mar 30 1:00 p.m. @Spurs
Tuesday, Apr 1 10:00 p.m. @Kings
Thursday, Apr 3 10:30 p.m. @Trail Blazers
Friday, Apr 4 10:30 p.m. @SuperSonics
Sunday, Apr 6 9:30 p.m. @Clippers
Wednesday, Apr 9 8:30 p.m. SuperSonics

Tough home games against the Lakers and Celtics, and some rough road games. If they can keep the streak alive through the Spurs game, they just might do it. Who knows, stay tuned!

Houston is yet another team no one wishes to see in their playoff bracket!

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93crawler

I gotta go for my Celtics, Garnett is healthy and looking better than ever, Pierce is always good, and when Ray Allen is knocking shots down, he's almost unbeatable. Surprisingly, their bench has surpassed everyone's (including my own) expectations. Rondo, though not a huge offensive threat every night, is really starting to come into his own. They'll definitely make it to the final four, but maybe not the finals. They still have a tendency to piss away games from time to time, when they should win them.

As far as the West, who knows, the west has always been better for over 15 years. I don't however, think the Spurs will be in the finals, maybe Dallas with the acquisition of Kidd, or the Lakers, or ?

michaeljohn

Boston Celtics: They managed 3 runs of championships, winning 11 of 13 under Bill Russel from the late 50's to end of 60's. They quickly put together a new team and won 2 in 6 seasons, from 1972-77. The Bird era soon followed, and they won 3 more from 1980-1992. (Last in 1986). Since then, they have been a non-factor until this year's offseason blockbuster trades, netting them Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to compliment Paul Pierce. They set the league on fire, and it is only the late season western roster changes that have taken away their thunder.

They should end up with the NBA best record which will grant them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. They will get an easy first round, then chances are draw Cleveland in round 2. That could go easily too, or could be very tough. All depends on what LeBron James can do and generate from his teammates. Beat the Cavs, and get rewarded with the Detroit Pistons most likely in the east finals. I still call that a "You pick 'em" series.

If they advance, the finals should be great. As I pointed out in another thread, the NBA would like a Celtics/Lakers finals. For ratings, Dallas should do ok too as would Phoenix due to the Shaq factor. San Antonio would be a great series, and maybe their recent championships would "spur" interest and get good ratings. Besides, if San Antonio can ever get the "No Repeat" monkey off their back, beating Boston would be more satisfying than beating Detroit or Cleveland, and cement them as a dynasty instead of a wannabee. If Houston keeps on winning, that would be a great matchup too. That leaves New Orleans and Utah. Perhaps not as much interest, but if either of the latter two make it that far, they deserve it.

Celtics could probably beat any western team in the finals, or lose to them. Some they should have a better chance against than others, but it's all speculation. I don't think the Celtics will win it all this year. Their big three is hungry, but so are plenty of other teams, and they have talent too.

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MrEfrisk

Ok. First GS will have to face either San Antonio or the lakers so theyll be done for. Phoenix is not looking too good. It will be the spurs vs the lakers in the west finals to determine the western team that is going to be in the finals.
Now for the east Im going with Boston to make it to the finals. Detroit will give them a very good series which will probably go seven games.
The Boston/ LA finals matchup looks very possible. During the season Boston won both games over LA but that was before Gasol came in. So it wont be that easy for Boston but I think they will prevail.

michaeljohn

San Antonio Spurs: They are the defending champs, and that's worth something. However, their playoff history says otherwise. They have 4 championships in 9 years, 3 in 5 years, but have never repeated. To many people, this keeps them from dynasty status, they need to win back-to-back to claim that. Objectively, they won 2 titles in 5 yeras when they had David Robinson and Tim Duncan. They have won 2 titles in 4 years since the Admiral retired. Although they have the motivation to repeat, I just don't see them doing it, especially with all the power they need to go through in the west. If the playoff started today, they open hosting Phoenix, and if they win that, they face the winner of the Houston Dallas series, without homecourt against the Rockets. Win that, and face another grueling series from the survivor of the other 4 teams. Then the finals would match them up with Detroit or Boston most likely. This is one matchup that the east should prevail in. Detroit wants revenge for 2005, and Boston has had a great year and has the big three.

Another thing that hurts them is they more or less field the same team as last year, with the exception of Kurt Thomas who was brought in late for defense. Every year, champs tend to stand pat with their lineup and everyone else tries to adjust. I remember 1988. Lakers repeated, but not easily. They fielded the same lineup as the season before and even reduced Kurt Rambis' role, running a 7 man rotation. Every series went the maximum. They had to win 7 game series against Utah with the Mailman and Stockton, then Dallas. Detroit had 3-2 finals edge before succumbing. Sports Illustrated had a 3 page article on the finals, the last two devoted to the Pistons, touted as the team of the future. Indeed they did win the next two titles, stopped only by the Bulls, once Michael Jordan got some decent teammates in 1991....

Of course the playoffs don't start tomorrow, and as close as the standings are, who knows how things will end up for seeding. Both the Spurs and the Lakers face many tough games in the days ahead, and both could drop quickly in the standings.

As I said above, if they do win it all, this would be the year to do it because with all the great competition that would end all arguments about their place among the elite teams in NBA history. I just don't think they are a step above the pack, and the no-repeat jinx is a burden on them until, if ever, they lift it.

Still, the Spurs are someone no team wants to face early in the playoffs, and everyone hopes they don't end up in their bracket.

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r_joe

i'd love to see the celtics win a championship...

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