Predictions!

[Chris L]

I don't think I've ever seen one guy beat an entire team in the playoffs like that with so little help.  LeBron was godlike and his teammates were standing around on offense awestruck like the soldiers in Children of Men.

That said, Detroit didn't pressure him nearly enough.  Yes, they did some double teaming and there were shots they could do nothing about, but they should've constantly swarmed him all over the court like Chuck and Kenny said and dared one of those other stiffs to make a shot. 

[Omar]

I don't think I've ever seen one guy beat an entire team in the playoffs like that with so little help.  LeBron was godlike and his teammates were standing around on offense awestruck like the soldiers in Children of Men.

That said, Detroit didn't pressure him nearly enough.  Yes, they did some double teaming and there were shots they could do nothing about, but they should've constantly swarmed him all over the court like Chuck and Kenny said and dared one of those other stiffs to make a shot. 

It's beyond belief that late in a critical NBA conference finals playoff game, anyone -- even King James -- can essentially be allowed to waltz down the lane and dunk the ball.  For shame, Pistons.

[Jon Solomon]

I don't think I've ever seen one guy beat an entire team in the playoffs like that with so little help.  LeBron was godlike and his teammates were standing around on offense awestruck like the soldiers in Children of Men.

That said, Detroit didn't pressure him nearly enough.  Yes, they did some double teaming and there were shots they could do nothing about, but they should've constantly swarmed him all over the court like Chuck and Kenny said and dared one of those other stiffs to make a shot. 

It's beyond belief that late in a critical NBA conference finals playoff game, anyone -- even King James -- can essentially be allowed to waltz down the lane and dunk the ball.  For shame, Pistons.

For someone who spent most of the second half of the second half complaining to other Pistons about where they were positioned, Tayshaun Prince really might have wanted to try and slide over and play some help defense in the final minute of both overtimes.

It beats gesticulating.

JS

[Dorvid Barnas]

Defensive breakdown or unstoppable human force of basketball? 
I saw a whole bunch of contested shots, the only easy baskets coming as a result of sick sick moves.
[youtube=425,350]d1Px-jPm_TU[/youtube]
I believe Prince soiled himself around -2:50.

[TRL]

Boy, I am late to this thread.  I am way more for watching NBA than NCAA on a given night.  Do I want to watch Minnesota play some team in Division II?  There is no NBA game that would be as boring as that.  There are some good match ups in the tourney and it makes for a lot of drama but if the NBA did this it would easily eclipse college.  Hell, even 3 game series would make the NBA playoffs crazier.  I think extending the first round to 7 might be a bit much but in general, the NBA playoffs have had some great moments.  Lebron scoring 25 points in a row to win the game by two is much more interesting than anything that happened in the NCAA tourney.  The final for the NCAA tourney was generally a snooze.  Florida had far more talent than anyone else.  At least with the NBA you have a stack of teams like Spurs, Dallas, and Phoenix who are stacked but you can't write off teams like Golden State (which was an awesome series with the Mavs). 

I don't have cable and have been busy so I have caught very little of the playoffs but what I have caught has been pretty good.  The Cavs are way over matched. I hope they can pick up the last two in Cleveland to make things interesting but I wouldn't be shocked if they are swept.  The eastern conference is sad.  I think almost anyone team out west could have got to the finals if they were out east versus the east who didn't have one team that would be a guaranteed first round winner.

I don't know why I am talking though living in Minneapolis with what is easily the worst NBA franchise in history.  Their best year was great and it was only one year.  Our contracts with crappy players (Hudson, Jaric, James, and several others) guarantee we will be stuck for years.  Winning the draft lottery was our only hope.  Durant is going to be rookie of the year and Oden will be good.  I still think Oden can flop and he is definitely going to a team that could easily not use him properly.

FIRE KEVIN MCHALE. 

[TRL]

Also, nothing made me happier in the draft lottery than seeing Boston not get the #1 pick.  They are going to stink it up again this year as well as Memphis so that at least the wolves won't be the absolute worst team (they are pretty close though).

[johnfgillson]

Do I want to watch Minnesota play some team in Division II?

That's what all the other Big Ten teams say when they play the Gophs....hopefully Tubby can turn it around.

There are a lot of franchises that are worse than the Wolves. At least Taylor spends some dough. McHale is horrid, but the Wolves were held up by two mistakes. The Joe Smith deal and signing Garnett to so much money. I would have done the same in regards to Garnett, but it changed the NBA and is the major factor why the Wolves can't build around KG. The salary cap changes made it impossible for a cold weather, small market team to bring in a veteran player with the new mid-level exception because those players now seek championship locks and nice climates. The changes also made it impossible to trade bad contracts and build by trading for pieces. Pretty much, the only way to build a contender is through the draft with some minor tweaking. Which brings us back the Joe Smith deal... McHale really only made one bad mistake, and he had to find a way to fix it, but because of the "KG changes" that's impossible to do. I think they need to trade Garnett for a guy about 4-5 years younger that they can build around because I think they'll be in a much better place 3-4 years down the road with some decent drafting.