FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: redmedicine on April 17, 2009, 05:55:48 PM
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I've been a longtime pooh-pooher of all things basketball, but damn, 'nem Blazers are a fun team to watch. Tom's championing of the hoops as the one true sport hasn't hurt either. Do we stand a chance against Houston, who from what I can figure are a two player team?
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im watching nem Spurs tomorrow after enjoying a day out perusing the record stores.
GO SPURS GO!
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im watching nem Spurs tomorrow after enjoying a day out perusing the record stores.
GO SPURS GO!
Please do not tarnish "nem" by following it with "Spurs."
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This is the year the NBA steps completely out of the shadow of Jordan with Lebron leading the Cavs to the title. It's going to be awesome.
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Its going to be Pistons/Nuggets in the final.
You know it.
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Tom's probably estatic about Garnett's injury. I don't have much hope for the Celtics this year, where only two years ago I'd be glad even to get into the playoffs, never mind with the 2nd seed. The C's and Cavs will probably meet in the Eastern conference finals and Lebron James will dispatch Boston in 5.
The one subplot to the ascent of Lebron James that I consider really tacky is the New York media and fans assuming that he's moving to their 'big media market' after his contract is up after next year. I and I presume a lot of other NBA fans would love to see him continue his legacy in Cleveland for a Jordan like run, instead of teaming up with a broken organization like the Knicks. It would be akin to Wayne Gretzky moving from Edmonton to LA.
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Tom's probably estatic about Garnett's injury. I don't have much hope for the Celtics this year, where only two years ago I'd be glad even to get into the playoffs, never mind with the 2nd seed. The C's and Cavs will probably meet in the Eastern conference finals and Lebron James will dispatch Boston in 5.
The one subplot to the ascent of Lebron James that I consider really tacky is the New York media and fans assuming that he's moving to their 'big media market' after his contract is up after next year. I and I presume a lot of other NBA fans would love to see him continue his legacy in Cleveland for a Jordan like run, instead of teaming up with a broken organization like the Knicks. It would be akin to Wayne Gretzky moving from Edmonton to LA.
I think everyone besides New York fans and ESPN wants Lebron to stay in Cleveland.
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Big win for the Bulls, I love watching Rose. It's nice to see Noah and Thomas have mostly pulled their heads out of their asses.
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I agree, jbissell, what a great game for such a young and exciting team.
I'm going to be totally gutless and say, since I'm a bigger hockey fan than I am a basketball fan, that I wouldn't be devastated by a Celtics first round upset at the hands of the Bulls. The amount of attention they're getting in this city compared to probably the best Bruins team in my lifetime is ridiculous.
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Chicago might win one more game in that series. If they can barely beat the Celtics with Rose and Noah having career games, KG out, and Ray Allen shooting 1-12, I don't think they have much of a shot to win more than 2 games.
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Chicago might win one more game in that series. If they can barely beat the Celtics with Rose and Noah having career games, KG out, and Ray Allen shooting 1-12, I don't think they have much of a shot to win more than 2 games.
I thought that the Celtics would probably win in 6 games, but I wasn't expecting the Bulls to take the first game. Even if they can't win game 2 but can at least keep it close, I think they have an outside shot at winning the series. None of the Celtics big men scare me in the least and I wouldn't be surprised if the Bulls controlled the boards. The Bulls are a really great home team, especially down the stretch. Allen was pretty awful in the first 2 rounds last season, so while I don't think he'll put up another 1-12 performance, it's no sure thing that he'll turn it on. It wasn't like it was just the Celtics that were underperforming, the Bulls are a much better 3pt shooting team than they were today and Gordon was pretty cold in the first half (although Tyrus Thomas knocking down all those jumpers was unexpected).
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That was pretty cool that the Bulls beat the Celtics last night.
Not that I am a Celtics hater, I just like upsets.
It would be cool to see some more, keep this playoffs interesting.
It feels to me like the NBA really wants to see a Lakers/Cavs final with the coronation of Lebron as the result.
On the other hand, Lakers/Cavs could be an exciting series to watch.
I found this website http://www.atdhe.net/ which you can stream games on if anyone needs.
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Tom's probably estatic about Garnett's injury.
I never cheer for injuries! That's ghoulish! But you gotta play whoever suits up, and the Celtics still have 2/3rds of the Big Three on the floor. Although if KG has contract negotiations coming up, he just bought himself an additional jet yesterday.
Tom.
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That was pretty cool that the Bulls beat the Celtics last night.
Not that I am a Celtics hater, I just like upsets.
It would be cool to see some more, keep this playoffs interesting.
It feels to me like the NBA really wants to see a Lakers/Cavs final with the coronation of Lebron as the result.
On the other hand, Lakers/Cavs could be an exciting series to watch.
I think the 7 game format for the first round makes it much harder for those big upsets to happen anymore, that's why Golden State beating Dallas a few years ago was so awesome. There are much worse things than two of the three best players in the league meeting in the Finals. I'd much rather see that than a Lakers/Celtics rematch.
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Well, last night was pretty horrifying for the Blazers. I think everyone but Brandon are still mourning Pig Champion's passing.
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I'm watching the Sixers/Magic game, and I'm convinced they switched out P.J. Carlesimo on commentary for Super Dave. Does Carlesimo sound like this because Latrell choked him, or did Latrell choke him because he sounds like this?
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I'm watching the Sixers/Magic game, and I'm convinced they switched out P.J. Carlesimo on commentary for Super Dave. Does Carlesimo sound like this because Latrell choked him, or did Latrell choke him because he sounds like this?
Once Spree chokes you, you stay choked.
I only tuned into this game for like a minute, but I seriously thought the same thing. Although Super Dave's probably too busy to call NBA games, what with his face melting and all.
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Van Gundy choked, again. I was busy during the end of the 3rd quarter, come back and I'm like :o That 4th quarter was just a total mess, I love that C Webb called it too.
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The Bulls/Celtics game is amazing!
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The Bulls/Celtics game is amazing!
Not happy with the final outcome, but the fact that the Bulls were still in that game with the way Boston dominated the offensive boards shows that they can hang with the champs any day. I'm excited for game 4 on Sunday, it'll be my first time at a playoff game.
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Just watched the Celtics barely pull out a win against the Bulls. Pierce was awesome and I've liked "Big Baby" since he was at LSU.
Is it possible that Joakim Noah needs to gain some weight so he's not knocked around so much in the future? He looked like a very fit ragdoll at times.
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Just watched the Celtics barely pull out a win against the Bulls. Pierce was awesome and I've liked "Big Baby" since he was at LSU.
Is it possible that Joakim Noah needs to gain some weight so he's not knocked around so much in the future? He looked like a very fit ragdoll at times.
Noah definitely needs to fill out some, although I'm not sure if that'll happen.
I didn't really think Pierce was awesome. Rondo is the one keeping them in the series, and obviously Allen showing up tonight didn't hurt. It was pretty fun watching Gordon and Allen trade baskets at the end there. I think these two games have made it real clear that the Celtics really have no depth at all. If this ends up being a 6 or 7 game series like I think it might, they're going to be gassed for round 2.
Also, a disappointing side effect of the Bulls playing well is that Del Negro will be back as coach. He's really not very good. The fact that the Bulls have had no timeouts at the end of both of these games was just dumb.
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. The fact that the Bulls have had no timeouts at the end of both of these games was just dumb.
This.
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. The fact that the Bulls have had no timeouts at the end of both of these games was just dumb.
This.
i walked in as this was stated; it is what it is, i said. i got home with 12 seconds left, moments before the winning shot.
im watching this spurs/mavs game and tony parker is on FI-YAH!
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Come on, people, it's BASEBALL season.
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It's nice to see Ray Allen making shots that matter, and Big Baby's doing his part to fill the KG void. Rondo with his heroic triple double (after what looked like a scary injury) is also proving why he's one of the best point guards in the league.
Last year the Celtics had trouble in the opening round against a similar opponent in the Hawks. I hope at least they can build up enough steam in the coming rounds to put up a fight against the Cavs.
I never cheer for injuries! That's ghoulish! But you gotta play whoever suits up, and the Celtics still have 2/3rds of the Big Three on the floor. Although if KG has contract negotiations coming up, he just bought himself an additional jet yesterday.
Tom.
Oh, I didn't mean to put it that way, Tom. I'm probably just touchy after the Brady incident this season. I don't root for injuries either (except for Sean Avery, an inhabitant of my personal Hockey Hate Pit). Your right about KG's value, If the Celtics fall short of The Finals you can bet he and his agent are going to tell teams to do the math at the negotiation table.
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Come on, people, it's BASEBALL season.
Go drink some Caro syrup, Mathy. It's ROUNDBALL TIME.
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Come on, people, it's BASEBALL season.
Go drink some CKaro syrup, Mathy. It's ROUNDBALL TIME.
Heretic. And you didn't even capitalize Syrup.
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It feels to me like the NBA really wants to see a Lakers/Cavs final with the coronation of Lebron as the result.
On the other hand, Lakers/Cavs could be an exciting series to watch.
I have bought into some NBA conspiracies in my day, but if you're suggesting that Commish Stern is angling to get the Cavs and Lakers to the Finals via shady means, then you're crazy. EVERYONE knows these are the two best teams and that, assuming they both make it, they will show us a great series. There is no reason for the league to pull any strings in the background to guarantee they'll make it. Here's what we know:
1. The only team in the West capable of beating the Lakers on the way to the Finals is Portland. They're young, rarely beatable at home (save for that first playoff game), and they're freaking deep. Just watch them throw their Bigs at Yao making him earn his points on the stripe. Brandon Roy has the talent to be the best player in that series. It's up to him to step up and take it though. Portland's disadvantage is also that they're young. They probably need to get knocked around a little and come back stronger in the next couple of postseasons.
2. The Cavaliers won't be challenged until the Finals. Lebron has taken another step up and has that "look". I'm not a Boston hater, but if you can't get rid of the Bulls in 4... THE BULLS!... then it's likely we don't even see the C's in the East Finals. Ray Allen had an amazing game and they BARELY beat the Bulls in Game2. Orlando is all smoke and mirrors. Who is going to take the big shots at the end of the game for those guys? Not Howard. You're relying on Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu to be the heroes.
3. ABC/ESPN will make sure they cram an old hit into our heads over and over and over. Last year I believe it was Tom Petty's "Runnin Down A Dream." What's it gonna be this year?? I predict one of the songs off the new U2 album.
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I don't mean that there is an NBA conspiracy.
I just feel like everyone is saying that its a foregone conclusion that it will be Lakers/Cavs.
Maybe it is.
It just makes me want me want someone else to beat one of those teams is all.
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Yes, I certainly see your point. Since it seems so obvious what's going to happen, we inherently start looking/hoping for an upset.
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5:45 seconds to play and I think Atl. has a chance against Miami.
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When Dwayne Wade made that three pointer you could hear the axe fall. He is the calmest person I've ever seen.
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When Dwayne Wade made that three pointer you could hear the axe fall. He is the calmest person I've ever seen.
Derrick Rose is giving him a serious run for that title.
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Derrick Rose is an assassin. The Bulls lucked out by winning the lottery last year.
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Derrick Rose is an assassin. The Bulls lucked out by winning the lottery last year.
They could have drafted Beasley....
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True. But I think it's a lot harder to find a good point guard than it is a good power/small forward.
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Definitely. I'm saying they could have screwed up getting lucky.
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Beasley would have been a great pick, had they decided to go in that direction. That top of the 2008 draft wasn't bad at all. Rose, Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Eric Gordon, Russell Westbrook, Brook Lopez all did quite well this year.
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I honestly think Beasley would've been a trainwreck on the Bulls; Miami works for him because Wade is there to keep him straight. The Bulls have enough immature guys that it wouldn't have worked out. It's just a shame D'Antoni went to the Knicks because I think Rose would really have been a perfect PG for him, along with the Bulls' athletic bigs. Instead, we were stuck with Del Negro wasting half the season on a slow down offense that didn't fit the team at all. Thank god he at least came to his senses a bit in the last few months.
Tonight's game was an obvious disappointment, hopefully they can bounce back on Sunday.
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Beasley will be good but nothing like Rose. Carmelo Anthony at best- a fan favorite and a scoring machine but not a guy who's going to lead a team to a championship.
You forgot Kevin Love in there. He was better than all rookies other than Rose and Beasley but unfortunately the Wolves really need to make him a 6th man. They need a true center which would move Al Jefferson to PF and move Love to the bench. I don't think that's a big deal since they can just play big most of the time but I think they do need to find a defensive center and put Love in the 6th man role. But, if he went to a team that needed a PF, he could be an all-star.
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Tough loss today for the Celtics. As a basketball fan, this has been and I guess will continue to be an amazing series, but as a Boston fan, it's been way too entertaining for my liking.
Boston's bench production was downright pitiful compared to Chicago's. Depth due to injuries and attrition from last year's offseason is proving to be the Celtics' Achilles Heel this playoffs.
I still think Paul Pierce has failed to take over the series like he ought to have. I'm happy with his point production, but he he doesn't seem to get the same breaks on fouls and trips to the line like other players of his caliber do. Pierce is a top 10 talent in the league, but carries himself like a second tier player, who'd rather play in KG's shadow than lead on the floor. I think the referees sense this.
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Tough loss today for the Celtics. As a basketball fan, this has been and I guess will continue to be an amazing series, but as a Boston fan, it's been way too entertaining for my liking.
Boston's bench production was downright pitiful compared to Chicago's. Depth due to injuries and attrition from last year's offseason is proving to be the Celtics' Achilles Heel this playoffs.
I still think Paul Pierce has failed to take over the series like he ought to have. I'm happy with his point production, but he he doesn't seem to get the same breaks on fouls and trips to the line like other players of his caliber do. Pierce is a top 10 talent in the league, but carries himself like a second tier player, who'd rather play in KG's shadow than lead on the floor. I think the referees sense this.
Today was the first playoff game I've gone to and it didn't disappoint. I'm not sure how the Bulls pulled it out because they missed a couple big free throws that really should've cost them the game. Also, Ben Gordon has absolutely no interest in guarding Ray Allen. It boggles my mind that Allen had a wide open three whenever he wanted it.
It was very exciting to see Brian Scalabrine play.
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It was very exciting to see Brian Scalabrine play.
Brian Scalabrine is exciting to watch. He also shows that us big and slow white guys can be successful athletes.
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Scalabrine = Michael Rappaport.
I am sure that someone else has noticed this.
That was a nice 3 pointer he hit.
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Scalabrine = Michael Rappaport.
I am sure that someone else has noticed this.
That was a nice 3 pointer he hit.
Yeah, I stopped laughing when he hit it. Then I started laughing again when he fouled out.
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Brian Scalabrine's greatest NBA achievement is his post-Championship press conference.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UUBC8NoQgA[/youtube]
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A real team effort by the Hornets tonight.
Final score:
Denver 121
New Orleans 63
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A real team effort by the Hornets tonight.
Final score:
Denver 121
New Orleans 63
Indeed. When you lose that badly, it's because everyone is phoning it in. Just think, if even one of their starters tried, they would've lost by only 30 or so.
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Bulls really blew that game. I got all excited when Allen fouled out with 5:30 left but was then reminded that they just can't close out games.
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The Bulls are going to be a vastly overrated team going into next year based on this series. They'll be a playoff team but I bet they'll be on a lot of people's lists to either win it all or get to the finals and they just aren't that good unless they another piece in the offseason.
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The Bulls are going to be a vastly overrated team going into next year based on this series. They'll be a playoff team but I bet they'll be on a lot of people's lists to either win it all or get to the finals and they just aren't that good unless they another piece in the offseason.
I don't know, I don't think many people actually think they're that good. Seems like the popular belief is that they're only in this series because KG is out. If Pierce doesn't miss that freethrow in game 1, the Celtics probably get a sweep. The worst part about all of this is that Vinny will keep his job, even though they've pretty much won in spite of his thoroughly mediocre and uninspired coaching. As for next season, the East is still pretty weak so I could see them moving up to maybe a 4 seed. I still don't see how anyone would ever pick them over Cleveland or even Boston (assuming they have a healthy KG and not such an awful bench). I'm most interested to see how the Gordon situation resolves itself. Any other year there'd be a handful of teams willing to overpay for him but with the shrinking cap next season and most teams looking to save money, I could see the Bulls hanging on to him if the price is right.
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Brian Scalabrine's greatest NBA achievement is his post-Championship press conference.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UUBC8NoQgA[/youtube]
Holy Moly, that is crazy!
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I'm almost certain this series is going 7. If the Celtics do manage to win, Rondo further solidified his place as my series MVP last night for his 28 points, 11 assists and his game-saving assault on Brad Miller at the end of overtime.
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I'm almost certain this series is going 7. If the Celtics do manage to win, Rondo further solidified his place as my series MVP last night for his 28 points, 11 assists and his game-saving assault on Brad Miller at the end of overtime.
There's no doubt he's the series MVP. He's averaging a triple double and has been unstoppable. Even though he hasn't hit any game-winners like Pierce or Allen, there's absolutely no way in hell Boston would win without him.
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I'm almost certain this series is going 7. If the Celtics do manage to win, Rondo further solidified his place as my series MVP last night for his 28 points, 11 assists and his game-saving assault on Brad Miller at the end of overtime.
There's no doubt he's the series MVP. He's averaging a triple double and has been unstoppable. Even though he hasn't hit any game-winners like Pierce or Allen, there's absolutely no way in hell Boston would win without him.
He should also be commended for getting away with that blatant flagrant foul against Hinrich.
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I'm almost certain this series is going 7. If the Celtics do manage to win, Rondo further solidified his place as my series MVP last night for his 28 points, 11 assists and his game-saving assault on Brad Miller at the end of overtime.
There's no doubt he's the series MVP. He's averaging a triple double and has been unstoppable. Even though he hasn't hit any game-winners like Pierce or Allen, there's absolutely no way in hell Boston would win without him.
He should also be commended for getting away with that blatant flagrant foul against Hinrich.
I was hoping he'd get something for the Miller foul but am not surprised that the NBA is letting it slide.
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I meant the Miller foul. Not sure how that happened.
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I'm most interested to see how the Gordon situation resolves itself. Any other year there'd be a handful of teams willing to overpay for him but with the shrinking cap next season and most teams looking to save money, I could see the Bulls hanging on to him if the price is right.
I would be surprised if they managed to re-sign him. They've committed way too much money to Deng and Hinrich and I really don't see Reinsdorf being dumb enough to pay the luxury tax to keep him. Though losing Gordon next year will no doubt hurt the Bulls, I do think playing without him might be more beneficial for Rose's development.
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I'm most interested to see how the Gordon situation resolves itself. Any other year there'd be a handful of teams willing to overpay for him but with the shrinking cap next season and most teams looking to save money, I could see the Bulls hanging on to him if the price is right.
I would be surprised if they managed to re-sign him. They've committed way too much money to Deng and Hinrich and I really don't see Reinsdorf being dumb enough to pay the luxury tax to keep him. Though losing Gordon next year will no doubt hurt the Bulls, I do think playing without him might be more beneficial for Rose's development.
Yeah, I won't be too broken up if he doesn't come back. He's obviously a great shooter when he gets hot but he's totally one-dimensional. I think a full season of Salmons would probably equal out the scoring.
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I just don't think The Bulls have that second guy after Rose to lead them out of the 1st round. A lot of people had New Orleans as a sleeper this year but all they have is Paul and some pretty good players. You need a lot more than that to even make the conference finals in the NBA.
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Triple OT? Sure, why not.
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What a finish! What can you say about Derrick Rose?
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What a finish! What can you say about Derrick Rose?
He's been pretty sloppy the last few games, but I absolutely love watching him play. He is going to be an absolute monster.
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That finish reminded me of last year's Memphis-Kansas National Championship game when Rose missed both free throws and cost Memphis the game. A much better outcome tonight, however.
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That finish reminded me of last year's Memphis-Kansas National Championship game when Rose missed both free throws and cost Memphis the game. A much better outcome tonight, however.
All those misses at the end also cost me $500 in the pool. Thanks, Calipari, for your unbelievable dedication to free throw shooting.
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Wasn't it bizarre how Miller got fouled in the last minute of overtime in both Game five and six? His facial expressions are pitiful like you're watching a sad old hobo character. (http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/094ZfXO6EJbND/340x.jpg)
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I'm about to kidnap Tony Allen 'Celtic Pride'-style so Doc Rivers doesn't sub him for Davis and fuck up Game 7 like Game 6.
oh, and:
@scharpling (http://twitter.com/scharpling) To everybody who rubbed how much better college basketball was than pro ball during March Madness, I give you the Bulls versus the Celtics.
No truer words were ever spoken. March Madness is fun but a great pro matchup like all but one of the games in this series beats a great college game every time.
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I'm about to kidnap Tony Allen 'Celtic Pride'-style so Doc Rivers doesn't sub him for Davis and fuck up Game 7 like Game 6.
oh, and:
@scharpling (http://twitter.com/scharpling) To everybody who rubbed how much better college basketball was than pro ball during March Madness, I give you the Bulls versus the Celtics.
No truer words were ever spoken. March Madness is fun but a great pro matchup like all but one of the games in this series beats a great college game every time.
Different strokes. I find the 24 second clock to render an otherwise beautiful game tedious. Hell, why not just have a 10-second clock!
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Wow. The Cleveland-Detroit series and the Denver-New Orleans series were so compelling - who WOULDN'T want to watch that for 4 mind-numbing games? Or Lakers-Utah for five - did you think Utah was on the comeback trail after their lone win?
Best-of-seven is way too many games for the first round. The idea that the first round of the NBA Playoffs is better than the first round of the NCAA Tournament - 32 single elimination games in 2 days, wall-to-wall from noon to past midnight, with 2 to 4 games going on at a time - is laughable.
Laughable, I say!
In the spring, it goes like this: NCAA > NHL Playoffs > Masters > Triple Crown > NBA Playoffs > Spring baseball.
I was really rooting for another Pistons-Spurs Classic.
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Best of 7 is ok for the NHL though? NHL playoffs are the worst, it just comes down to who has a hot goalie at the time.
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It's not all bad news Chicago fans, the Blackhawks won tonight.
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And they still have the Cubs too. :)
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And they still have the Cubs too. :)
And that's a good thing?
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Is there any intriguing second round match ups?
Dallas / Denver might be good.
Whaddayouseguys think?
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Is there any intriguing second round match ups?
Dallas / Denver might be good.
Whaddayouseguys think?
Is it too soon to start looking forward to the Lakers/Cavs finals?
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In the spring, it goes like this: NCAA > NHL Playoffs > Masters > Triple Crown > NBA Playoffs > Spring baseball.
I was really rooting for another Pistons-Spurs Classic.
The NBA is about grown men who are the best basketball players on the planet fighting and scrapping to validate the fighting they've been diong for six months. For me, there is nothing better than an upset when it is EARNED in a best-of-seven series, not just merely tripped over in a single elimination game.
And I will say this until the end of time. College basketball is a coaches' sport. They are the only constant to these teams. I have a hard time rooting for a sport where the single constant is a dude in his fifties wearing a suit.
Plus, any sport where a douche like Wojo can actually have an impact is inherently flawed.
That is my two cents. You like college basketball, bully for you! It has always been children's basketball for me, and the only interesting component is wondering which of the college superstars will be able to cut it with the grown men of the NBA.
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How many 1st round draft picks, maybe even 2nd round draft picks could succeed if they were handed a role similar to Rajon Rondo's? I'd say most. He had to rise up to the occasion, but that guy lucked out getting consistent playing time so early in his career on a great team. That happens.... well pretty much never.
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The Birdman got clean because of Lynyrd Skynyrd (http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/tomasson/2009/05/03/flying-high/).
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The NBA is about grown men who are the best basketball players on the planet fighting and scrapping to validate the fighting they've been diong for six months. For me, there is nothing better than an upset when it is EARNED in a best-of-seven series, not just merely tripped over in a single elimination game.
And I will say this until the end of time. College basketball is a coaches' sport. They are the only constant to these teams. I have a hard time rooting for a sport where the single constant is a dude in his fifties wearing a suit.
Plus, any sport where a douche like Wojo can actually have an impact is inherently flawed.
That is my two cents. You like college basketball, bully for you! It has always been children's basketball for me, and the only interesting component is wondering which of the college superstars will be able to cut it with the grown men of the NBA.
I'm definitely on board with the "some people like one, some people like the other and that's good" concept.
I wouldn't argue for a second that the NBA doesn't have superior players. They are the best basketball players in the world (or least by far the single greatest concentration thereof). No question.
I just find it to be an inferior product. Like if the NFL used Canadian Football rules. The 24-second clock, the lack of traveling calls, the even-greater-than-for-Duke favoritism for the best players, the fact that there are many players whose primary skills are using their asses to shove guys out of the way - all that turns it into something that only barely resembles the basketball I enjoy watching.
And Wojo was always talked about way more than any actual impact he had. Duke recruits are McDonald's All Americans because they are Duke recruits, not because they are the best talent coming out of high school.
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How many 1st round draft picks, maybe even 2nd round draft picks could succeed if they were handed a role similar to Rajon Rondo's? I'd say most. He had to rise up to the occasion, but that guy lucked out getting consistent playing time so early in his career on a great team. That happens.... well pretty much never.
Magic is probably the best example of this.
I don't know, he's really raised his play to a whole new level in these playoffs. Obviously having 3 probable HOF-ers on your team never hurts, but I doubt most Celtics fans were expecting him to be this good so soon.
I'm glad that his performance in Round 1 has given me a new face for my "NBA players I hate" list, because most of them are retired or on the downside of their careers.
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I really wish college basketball would cease to exist as much as I love March Madness. It would make the NBA a much better league because maybe then we could see a solid minor league NBA system. Teams would be able to control how long a player needs at a lower level before coming up to the NBA instead of players coming out after 1-2 years, sitting on the bench and bringing their progression to a grinding halt. Right now, you have the NBA developmental league, but for most draft picks, that is a step back from the competition they were facing in college so it's useless. Plus, teams would be able to coach a player their style of basketball instead of the style of a coach looking to win collegiate championships. A working minor league system would be so huge for the NBA.
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Best-of-seven is way too many games for the first round. The idea that the first round of the NBA Playoffs is better than the first round of the NCAA Tournament - 32 single elimination games in 2 days, wall-to-wall from noon to past midnight, with 2 to 4 games going on at a time - is laughable.
Laughable, I say!
I love the NBA playoffs, but I miss the best-of-five first rounds from the 80s and 90s. If nothing else, I'd like to see first round games revert to best-of-five if the losing team hasn't won a game yet. That might rule out the basketball equivalent of the '04 Red Sox, but that Cavaliers-Pistons bloodbath would've been one game shorter.
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(http://boston.3432.voxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/rondomclovin.jpg)
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Best-of-seven is way too many games for the first round. The idea that the first round of the NBA Playoffs is better than the first round of the NCAA Tournament - 32 single elimination games in 2 days, wall-to-wall from noon to past midnight, with 2 to 4 games going on at a time - is laughable.
Laughable, I say!
I love the NBA playoffs, but I miss the best-of-five first rounds from the 80s and 90s. If nothing else, I'd like to see first round games revert to best-of-five if the losing team hasn't won a game yet. That might rule out the basketball equivalent of the '04 Red Sox, but that Cavaliers-Pistons bloodbath would've been one game shorter.
I agree. Every year, for every awesome first-round series, there's like 5 bloodbaths/snoozefests.
Also agree with Tom in re: college basketball. Actually, with college sports in general. College sports always strike me as intensely exploitative. All the money goes to the schools/coaches and the kids get run into the ground like rented mules.
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWyVCGJswsk[/youtube]
;D
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Fan behavior at sporting events has become increasingly deplorable in recent years. People think because they pay for a ticket, they have the right to act like jackasses. That's one reason why I don't enjoy going to games anymore.
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Fan behavior at sporting events has become increasingly deplorable in recent years. People think because they pay for a ticket, they have the right to act like jackasses. That's one reason why I don't enjoy going to games anymore.
It's also why I quit going to music shows years ago (unless I can get in for free.) Took my wife to see Elton John at a barn-style venue in Atlanta many years ago, and a guy directly in front of us kept dropping his pants to his ankles every time he got excited about the current song, so his ass was literally within 3-5 feet of our face. The third time it happened, I tapped him on the shoulder to tell him to stop, and he turned around quickly, in the process slinging the beer he was holding on the woman standing next to him, then started screaming at ME that I "made him" spill his beer, apparently oblivious to the fact that this woman was now wearing it. Was his **** hanging out? Yes, it was.
I walked over to the security guy to try to get him to throw this guy out. His response was along the lines of "He's just having fun, buddy, why you want to cause trouble?"
I guess I am in the wrong thread.
dave
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWyVCGJswsk[/youtube]
;D
You can understand her attraction to him; he's a real man's man.
Perhaps a Boston listener could pull his name from the police log, and we could write him a congratulatory note about how his peaceful protest "stuck it to the man".
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(http://www.blogcdn.com/nba.fanhouse.com/media/2009/05/ron-artest-hair-0504-425.jpg)
Where's Anthony Mason?
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That weird Dirk Nowitski story is the most interesting thing about the second round by default, right? Artest being a distant second.
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That weird Dirk Nowitski story is the most interesting thing about the second round by default, right? Artest being a distant second.
I enjoyed reading her long list of aliases.
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9l8DN3xk6U[/youtube]
Lebron just keeps getting scarier and scarier.
I'll be shocked if the Cavs lose two more games in the entire playoffs.
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They are playing the Hawks who are going to be good but aren't there yet.... That said, The Cavs without Lebron are probably a lottery team. Even Jordan didn't carry a team like Lebron has done, he needed Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen before the Bulls made their mark. You give Lebron his Scottie Pippen and the Cavs would make a run at the Bulls 95-96 season.
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They are playing the Hawks who are going to be good but aren't there yet.... That said, The Cavs without Lebron are probably a lottery team. Even Jordan didn't carry a team like Lebron has done, he needed Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen before the Bulls made their mark. You give Lebron his Scottie Pippen and the Cavs would make a run at the Bulls 95-96 season.
I will absolutely watch any game he is involved in and the only other player I've felt that way about is MJ.
I don't think that 72 win team was even the best Bulls team. Sure, they were record wise but I don't think the league was quite as competitive as it was during the first 3-peat.
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Glen "Oversized Infant" Davis* hit the game-winning shot yesterday. Maybe I should find him amusing, but I don't. He seems to me like the kind of dope who'd smack the lunch tray out of your hands in high school (not that anyone would have dared try that with me).
(http://www.tiricosuave.com/images/glendavis.jpg)
*because Spike doesn't do sports
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He seems to me like the kind of dope who'd smack the lunch tray out of your hands in high school (not that anyone would have dared try that with me).
He was probably was. Last night in Orlando a fat little kid became a bitter young man.
(http://i41.tinypic.com/2isfpth.gif)
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He seems to me like the kind of dope who'd smack the lunch tray out of your hands in high school (not that anyone would have dared try that with me).
He was probably was. Last night in Orlando a fat little kid became a bitter young man.
(http://i41.tinypic.com/2isfpth.gif)
I can't stop watching this over and over. Most fascinating: the quick, emotionally complex series of expressions on the face of the kid he pushes. At first, there's a flash of anger ("who pushed me?") followed immediately by fear ("whoever pushed me is going to push me again, isn't he?") which turns into a mix of shame and resignation as he turns away knowing that he's going to be pushed by people for the rest of his life and he might as well get used to it.
Some other things: he defintely doesn't just swat the kid out of his way, he adds that push at the end when he's already past him, sending the kid's hat flying; the look of the taller kid in the backwards cap on the left of the one who gets pushed, that's a look of curious admiration and he's going to shove somebody out of the way like that next chance he gets; the guy in the LeBron jersey at a Celtics/Magic game.
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The kid's dad want an apology for Davis acting like a "raging animal with no regard for fans' personal safety" (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4159699).
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When I was a kid, I sat up in the balcony and sometimes behind a pole at the old Garden. I have no sympathy for little rich kids straying out onto the court. When I was his age, I would have been honored to be run over by Dominique Wilkins or Allan Houston.
One rumor about Big Baby circulating around town is that he's been known on occasion to eat an entire large pizza in one sitting. He's a total 'Zabra.
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When I was a kid, I sat up in the balcony and sometimes behind a pole at the old Garden.
I'll be up in 301 row 12 at the new Garden tonight. No kid shoving planned unless one takes a swipe at my Guinness.
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Fan behavior at sporting events has become increasingly deplorable in recent years. People think because they pay for a ticket, they have the right to act like jackasses. That's one reason why I don't enjoy going to games anymore.
It's also why I quit going to music shows years ago (unless I can get in for free.) Took my wife to see Elton John at a barn-style venue in Atlanta many years ago, and a guy directly in front of us kept dropping his pants to his ankles every time he got excited about the current song, so his ass was literally within 3-5 feet of our face. The third time it happened, I tapped him on the shoulder to tell him to stop, and he turned around quickly, in the process slinging the beer he was holding on the woman standing next to him, then started screaming at ME that I "made him" spill his beer, apparently oblivious to the fact that this woman was now wearing it. Was his **** hanging out? Yes, it was.
I walked over to the security guy to try to get him to throw this guy out. His response was along the lines of "He's just having fun, buddy, why you want to cause trouble?"
I guess I am in the wrong thread.
dave
I feel the same way sometimes. I find this to be very true at a lot of comedy shows that I'll see. I saw Todd Barry & Louis CK two weeks ago and this lady behind me was drunk and shouting the entire time, but whenever I've turned around in the past to say anything, the lady will freak out and make a scene or have some boyfriend who yells at you for saying something to his girlfriend. Scary jerks!
Sleepyjack -- I think the Boston Globe had an article a few months ago about a day in the life of Glen Davis and I think it said he eats full pizzas very often. He also gets manicures like weekly.
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After seeing the Bruins lose to the 'Canes in a Game 7 overtime live at the Garden last night (not unlike Kevin Smith's experience... ugh), I'm now actively rooting against the Celtics out of pure spite. I and the rest of my fellow Bruins fans don't need the kind of smug jokes and condescension that I've been getting at work today. If the Celtics manage to squeak by the formidable Orlando Magic and their brilliant head coach in game 7, I hope LeBron and the Cavs smoke them in four. I'm that pissed off right now. The same goes for the Red Sox.
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After seeing the Bruins lose to the 'Canes in a Game 7 overtime live at the Garden last night (not unlike Kevin Smith's experience... ugh), I'm now actively rooting against the Celtics out of pure spite. I and the rest of my fellow Bruins fans don't need the kind of smug jokes and condescension that I've been getting at work today. If the Celtics manage to squeak by the formidable Orlando Magic and their brilliant head coach in game 7, I hope LeBron and the Cavs smoke them in four. I'm that pissed off right now. The same goes for the Red Sox.
This would be a really bad time for a "Go Canes!" victory dance, huh?
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As a die-hard Penguins fan, I'm glad they didn't have to face the Bruins. The Hurricanes will be a very tough match-up though.
That loss must be tough for the Bruins fans to swallow, not only because they had the second best record in the league, but also because Scott Walker, the player that ended their season, definitely should have been suspended for that sucker punch on Aaron Ward. Better luck next year.
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86 FT in the Cavs/Magic game tonight? I just don't understand how the officiating can be so consistently horrid.
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The Cavs are in trouble. They've been outplayed in two of the three games that have been played this series. By all rights, the Magic should be up 3-0 right now and were it not for a miracle shot from LeBron James, they would be. Right now, the Magic appear to be the deeper team and the team with better shooters. Turkoglu, Lewis, and Gortat, in particular, have been huge this series.
Of course, that can all change rather quickly. We'll see.
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Boy, I really wouldn't want to see Orlando in the Finals.
Although a Denver/Magic Finals would be pretty damn funny.
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Boy, I really wouldn't want to see Orlando in the Finals.
Although a Denver/Magic Finals would be pretty damn funny.
That would be hilarious. I'm sure David Stern agrees.
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I'd rather see Lebron in the finals but Orlando fans deserve it for all those years they could have won with Shaq if he hadn't fled for Hollywood*. But, I still think Cleveland will win this series.
*Minnesota fans deserve it more for all the years they lost in the lottery especially when they lost Shaq and got Christian Laettner. :'(
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I can't work out whether they are playing basketball or boxing.
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I'd rather see Lebron in the finals but Orlando fans deserve it for all those years they could have won with Shaq if he hadn't fled for Hollywood*. But, I still think Cleveland will win this series.
*Minnesota fans deserve it more for all the years they lost in the lottery especially when they lost Shaq and got Christian Laettner. :'(
Laettner was "graettner!"
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I still can't decide whether the Lakers are lazy or just suck. And I'm a fan.
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Boy, I really wouldn't want to see Orlando in the Finals.
That would be hilarious. I'm sure David Stern agrees.
That sound you heard late last night was the screams of someone who has paid for and produced a bunch of weird puppet commercials with puppet Kobe and puppet LeBron. Is it too late to CGI in a puppet Dwight Howard?
It will be bullshit when he picks up his next T and has to sit for a game in the Finals.
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Boy, I really wouldn't want to see Orlando in the Finals.
That would be hilarious. I'm sure David Stern agrees.
That sound you heard late last night was the screams of someone who has paid for and produced a bunch of weird puppet commercials with puppet Kobe and puppet LeBron. Is it too late to CGI in a puppet Dwight Howard?
It will be bullshit when he picks up his next T and has to sit for a game in the Finals.
I'd be pretty surprised if they didn't wipe out that T, they seem to be doing that a lot recently. It definitely should be wiped because it was a really dumb call.
Am I the only one that was expecting Lebron to make that long prayer at the end of OT?
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Is it me or is this Birdman thing the lamest redemption story ever. They like to throw the hurricane katrina angle in there but c'mon. The guy started doing meth (or coke or whatever he won't admit to) then talks like "I'm gonna show these people". Show who? Show yourself maybe. Then he comes back with ZERO humility and runs around like Dennis Rodman with his stupid hair and his awful tattoos and his stupid face.
He is good, though.
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...when hugman says what im thinking.
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Boy, I really wouldn't want to see Orlando in the Finals.
That would be hilarious. I'm sure David Stern agrees.
That sound you heard late last night was the screams of someone who has paid for and produced a bunch of weird puppet commercials with puppet Kobe and puppet LeBron. Is it too late to CGI in a puppet Dwight Howard?
It will be bullshit when he picks up his next T and has to sit for a game in the Finals.
Reminds me that back in '99, Nike did some commercials where they had a patient who bled Carolina blue blood, which was linked to March Madness. Unfortunately for Nike, #14 seed Weber State and Harold "The Show" Arceneaux showed up the Tar Heels and their completely fictitious star Brendan Haywood in the first round. Good job, Nike.
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Forget LeBron. I want to see the Magic in the NBA Finals. They're a better and more exciting team.
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Forget LeBron. I want to see the Magic in the NBA Finals. They're a better and more exciting team.
Nothing beats a sweaty Stan Van Gundy post-game interview.
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I just want to see Lebron win so we can stop hearing people talk about when he's going to win it.
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Forget LeBron. I want to see the Magic in the NBA Finals. They're a better and more exciting team.
Nothing beats a sweaty Stan Van Gundy post-game interview.
Except maybe an angry Jeff Van Gundy.
I'm getting a little weary of the Lebron talk too. The guy hits one buzzer beater (an amazing one, I give you) and suddenly "he's a closer!" How many slow-mo commercials are there for Robert Horry? The NBA needs to understand that they have more than two players in the league and it might be worth their while to promote that.
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Lebron's shot was definitely impressive, but it was after his team had blown a 23 point lead. If the Cavs had been coming from behind to take the lead and win the game at the buzzer, then I'd be willing to consider it as a more classic shot.
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Its been a pretty great playoffs so far.
Way closer and more exciting then I thought it would be.
WHodathunk that Orlando would be up 3-1 on the Cavs. Not me anyways.
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WHodathunk that Orlando would be up 3-1 on the Cavs. Not me anyways.
true dat
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Its been a pretty great playoffs so far.
Way closer and more exciting then I thought it would be.
WHodathunk that Orlando would be up 3-1 on the Cavs. Not me anyways.
The only thing that could make it better is competent officiating.
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Maybe if LeBron takes the tickets and does the halftime show in Orlando the Cavs can pull it out.
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This isn't worth it's own thread... but Stephon Marbury is having a total meltdown live on his webcam (http://deadspin.com/5323955/marburys-frayed-ends-of-sanity)... check it out live (http://www.justin.tv/starburytv). He's probably air-drumming to Nas and shouting at people in his chatroom. Holy Shit.
This bizarre episode and the Rasheed Wallace signing officially erodes any confidence I have in Danny Ainge going forward.
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This isn't worth it's own thread... but Stephon Marbury is having a total meltdown live on his webcam (http://deadspin.com/5323955/marburys-frayed-ends-of-sanity)... check it out live (http://www.justin.tv/starburytv). He's probably air-drumming to Nas and shouting at people in his chatroom. Holy Shit.
This bizarre episode and the Rasheed Wallace signing officially erodes any confidence I have in Danny Ainge going forward.
THE_REAL_SHAQ seemed flummoxed by it last night.