man it would be crazy if the spurs actually made a run to the final, they are pretty damn talented for their seed and a little parity in the nba would be cool, I mean I can't imagine a 7 seed that has ever been as talented as them

4/18/2010 9:25:33 PM

yeah, Dejuan Blair is the true rookie of the year and Steph Curry should be 2nd.

This series is basically a flip, but I hope Dallas wins because they have the better shot of taking down LA.

Dallas got a ton better by getting rid of Howard and replacing him with a solid player like Butler, but adding a good center like Haywood to match up with LA was really the key to the deal.

4/18/2010 9:30:18 PM

Dirk is unstoppable

4/18/2010 10:36:23 PM

Where's your god now rally?

4/18/2010 11:03:18 PM

Rally seems to know his stuff for the most part, but why are you all over Howard's sack? Yes, he's a beast, but he has no offensive game outside of 5 feet, can't hit free throws, and disappears for games at a time. He can't be counted on in the clutch, because they'll just foul him.

True superstars that are dominant players demand the fucking ball. I blame a lot of that on Stan "can't coach" Van Gundy. It's his sixth year in the league, no more free passes for not working on his offensive moves. Go find Hakeem, or Kareem, or somebody and develop some more offensive weapons.


And fuck Raymond Felton & DJ. I didn't see the game today, but apparently they got worked by Nelson. They had 1 personal foul between them. If you keep getting embarrassed, put that mofo on his ass. This is the playoffs after all.

4/19/2010 2:46:50 AM

^Felton was getting destroyed in the first quarter, but composed himself and played a pretty damn solid final 3 quarters. As far as trying to teach Howard to have greater offensive ability they have Patrick Ewing on staff and his only job is working with Howard. He may not have been the prominent offensive force that Kareem or Hakeem was but he was a damn good offensive player.

4/19/2010 10:53:40 AM

Fucking Phoenix blew it last night. I still see them taking this series...hopefully in 6...but it would have been nice if they could have gotten out early and gotten old Nash some rest. The Blazers played great defense last night.

4/19/2010 11:31:06 AM

I'm on his "sac" because he was amazing this season.

His PAWS was amazing this year.

Obviously, WARP has its limitations in basketball do its inability to totally quantify defense but just look at what he does to the centers he goes up against.

Quote :

" First Team and Defensive Player of the Year - Dwight Howard, Orlando When I fill out my awards ballot tomorrow, there will be two honors that merit virtually no discussion because they are so obvious. One is MVP and the other is Defensive Player of the Year. Howard is so far beyond his peers defensively it is remarkable. He's accounted for 13.9 WARP at the defensive end, which would be good enough to place him in the league's top 10 in total WARP even if Howard was merely average on offense. Howard ranks second in the league in defensive rebound percentage and ninth in block percentage, and he's also stifled opposing centers. His dMult looks like a typo; opponents have been held an incomprehensible 41.4 percent below their usual production. Orlando is at the moment the league's best defensive team despite starting a converted small forward at the four, a poor defender at shooting guard and for much of the year either an aging Jason Williams or Jameer Nelson hobbled by knee surgery at the point. That's a testament to the incredible force that Howard is in the paint."

4/19/2010 6:15:42 PM

does howard really need a diverse offense? shaq averaged like 28 points a game just bullying his way to the basket, even though he could have scored more per game what he did this season was pretty damn impressive, every other main guy on that team has been inconsistent this year and they beat out the lakers in final record

van gundy I do question somewhat, there were stretches of games earlier in the year where mikhael pietrus (sp) was actually taking more shots than dwight howard, and this wasn't even lewis or carter

4/19/2010 8:30:17 PM

holy shit

dunk of the year from LBJ

4/19/2010 8:33:23 PM

^^ precisely. It's a myth that a great player has to be the "go-to" guy.

guards are naturally better positioned and skilled to take the last shot of a game.


It's like saying your D-lineman with 20 sacks isn't a great player because he can't throw a touchdown pass from the four yard line with the game on the line.

If you look up the stats... Kobe's "game winning FG%" is actually very pedestrian and in fact I think it's below league AVERAGE.

If you take a lot you tend to make a few.

Our obsession with the spectacular is what makes us try to identify "clutch" qualities even though most studies show they do not exist in real life.

[Edited on April 19, 2010 at 8:34 PM. Reason : a]

4/19/2010 8:34:06 PM

OH.MY.GOD

James Johnson got his very own poster

4/19/2010 8:34:12 PM

lebron just went the fuck off

4/19/2010 8:34:51 PM

Shaq looks like he's still standing 5' tall while he's kneeling in front of the scorer's table

4/19/2010 8:51:05 PM

Mister Dweedle and I seen Shaq at the game a few months back and he looked fat as shit

Standing out at midcourt all by himself before the tip with his tight ass jersey on, tits hanging out the side

4/19/2010 8:58:47 PM

JJ getting props by announcers and crowd but no playing time

4/19/2010 9:06:16 PM

Varejao and Noah is possibly the irritating possible head to head matchup in the NBA.

4/19/2010 9:25:51 PM

shaq looked like he was dressed up for the special olympics that game, shorts were jacked up to his belly button or something

4/19/2010 9:26:48 PM

LOL @ Shaw elbowing Noah in the teeth.

4/19/2010 9:32:58 PM

Can the bulls make this an interesting series?

4/19/2010 9:36:14 PM

no

4/19/2010 9:38:44 PM

I bet Hickson is annoyed at coming in for like 5 seconds at a time.

4/19/2010 9:53:54 PM

Too bad the Wizards traded Jamison for Ilgauskas and cut Ilgauskas to sign back with Cleveland.


With Butler and Haywood playing well for the Mavericks, the Wizards are having an impact on the playoffs after all.

4/19/2010 10:00:37 PM

when was the last time an over the back call went against the Cavs? they do it every time

4/19/2010 10:04:43 PM

Moon is on his game tonight.

4/19/2010 10:19:37 PM

talent + shooting = unstoppable

4/19/2010 10:26:59 PM

Quote :

"Moon Lebron is on his game tonight."

4/19/2010 10:27:25 PM

to say that Lebron is locked in tonight is probably an understatement

4/19/2010 10:27:46 PM

cavs got lucky as shit tonight. wait till they play a team with a 3pt shooter.

4/19/2010 10:42:04 PM

Lebron is a sick fucking dude.

That being said, I'm only scared of 4 guys on their team. Lebron, Lebron, Varejao, and Moon.


The rest of the team is pretty flawed and I think the magic can handle them in 6.

4/19/2010 10:43:53 PM

williams is pretty tough when hes on and so is jamison. where was jamison in the 4th qtr?

Last year it was easy beating them because it was all defenders with lebron and williams. Now its shooters everywhere. I think the world will explode with all the unstopableness colliding in a cavs magic series.

Magic won't be able to play the way they did last year on d. I'm hoping the cavs keep playing the way they are because they could lose the next series. The bulls suck ass for a playoff team.

4/19/2010 10:57:31 PM

Just to be clear, that is not correct. The Cavs can not lose to the Celts or the Heat, especially the Heat.

4/19/2010 11:27:53 PM

dude, they barely beat the BULLS with lebron playing at his highest level possible. They've got some issues with jamison, shaq, and defense. I don't think you understand how shitty the bulls are.

If the cavs play to their potential they can't lose to the heat but like this they can.

4/20/2010 1:02:00 AM

refs have been way too involved in this one. calling touch fouls on both sides.

great game either way though

4/20/2010 1:30:42 AM

this is goin to OT

[Edited on April 20, 2010 at 1:39 AM. Reason : jinx worked ]

4/20/2010 1:36:42 AM

ha the more I watch that garnett elbow the more I feel sorry for quentin, an elbow like that, especially with how bony garnett is stings more than a punch

[Edited on April 20, 2010 at 2:39 AM. Reason : k]

4/20/2010 2:17:12 AM

Anyone else see this during the game last night?

Its a serious wtf

http://ballhype.com/video/carmelo-anthony-utah-ad/

4/20/2010 8:47:51 AM

I cant think of a series I care less about than Jazz/Nuggets

4/20/2010 9:05:49 AM

Surely Hawks/Bucks

4/20/2010 9:08:20 AM

That ones close to be sure. I at least enjoy watching Atlanta a bit more than either the jazz/nuggets.

4/20/2010 9:09:32 AM

The Bulls just match up very well with Cavs. I don't see the Cavs having a problem next round. In fact, I think this series is a very good "tune up" for the Cavs. Cavs have some shooters and scorers this year that will expand the court. Magic cannot crash down, double team, triple team James like they did last year without getting burned somewhere else.

At the same time, the Magic who shot lights out last year against Clev will not have the same advantage. Qtr after Qtr you saw the Cavs crash down on D.Howard and then run and jump back to try to get back to ass-open 3 point shooter. They will not crash down so hard, with Shaq and big Z putting body on D.Howard.

Hoping to see that series, will be a good one. But would love to see Bobcats kill that opportunity at the same time.


III

4/20/2010 9:13:58 AM

We're neck and neck with the NHL thread

Don't let those faggots win

4/20/2010 10:05:50 AM

You gotta respect the Jazz for going in there shorthanded and still pulling it out against the Nuggets. How this year was Deron Williams' first all-star selection is amazing to me

4/20/2010 10:21:04 AM

He's a had a great game for a while now, so it is hard to believe this is his first, but with Nash and Paul out west he's had some stout competition recently.

He's pretty much done everything except win big in the playoffs up to this point.

4/20/2010 10:30:08 AM

It was only his first because of a certain problem named PaulNashBryantRoyIversonParkerMcGrady

He should be on there every year from now on

4/20/2010 10:33:25 AM

Quote :

"While Chicago did most things right Monday, they did one thing horribly wrong: They taunted James. Even though he was butchering them at will the whole night through, the impudent visitors talked trash. "They were talking the whole game,'' James said. "Every time I caught the ball over there [by the Bulls' bench], they were daring me to shoot the ball, telling me that I couldn't shoot or 'You can't make jump shots, so take the shot.' So that's what I did. They asked me to shoot a jumper and I did that, over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.'' "

didn't know lbj was so sensitive... I love this article that's written like the bulls should just forfeit the series to spare themselves from lebron's wrath. DARE NOT TRY TO GET TO HIM.



[Edited on April 20, 2010 at 11:53 AM. Reason : .]

4/20/2010 11:49:13 AM

4/20/2010 2:24:14 PM

^^well I'd prob play off him four or five feet too, the guy is absolutely unstoppable going to the basket

4/20/2010 3:14:01 PM

How the fuck is Boston favored tonight with Garnett out?

Big Baby Davis sucks balls, this has to be a mistake.

If Boston can't lock down on defense they'll need a herculean effort out of Rondo to offset what D-Wade is gonna do tonight.

im taking the miamis to the bank

4/20/2010 6:16:32 PM

The most I've seen Boston favored by today was -1 and I've seen it as a pick em some places

4/20/2010 6:18:49 PM