NBA PLAYOFFS 2010

[kendoiwan]

He's choking, no other way to say it.

 

[INTPness]

He's choking, no other way to say it.

Yeah, I understand that happens. All good players have horrible games. Does it look like he's trying though? That's what I'm not understanding. It looks like there's no will or desire to try to change the outcome in any way. He seems very content.

Have there been reports of problems at home or anything in recent months?

 

[kendoiwan]

Yeah, I understand that happens. All good players have horrible games. Does it look like he's trying though? That's what I'm not understanding. It looks like there's no will or desire to try to change the outcome in any way. He seems very content.

Have there been reports of problems at home or anything in recent months?

That's what makes it a choke. If he came out guns blazing and had a bad game, THAT's understandable. This??? To come out and basically sleepwalk your way through a crucial game? When you're the best player walking the planet?

 

[Willfrey]

He's got all his crap packed to sign with whatever franchise waves the biggest contract in his face.

 

[INTPness]

That's what makes it a choke. If he came out guns blazing and had a bad game, THAT's understandable. This??? To come out and basically sleepwalk your way through a crucial game? When you're the best player walking the planet?

LOL. Classic Reggie Miller photo.

I always thought a "choke" was when you had a chance to win the game and couldn't deliver. Like being down by 1 and going to the line to shoot 2 free throws and missing them both. Or, a wide open jumper at the buzzer and you can't knock it down. Or, you get in the lane and blow the layup.

I thought what LeBron did last night was just a flat-out "no show". But, yeah, either way I won't disagree. He choked. Big time. Luckily for them, they could still win this series. I won't be surprised if he turns it back on and dominates in Game 6. They're quite capable of winning in Boston. And if they do that, they probably win Game 7 too.

 

[INTPness]

He's got all his crap packed to sign with whatever franchise waves the biggest contract in his face.

 

[kendoiwan]

He's got all his crap packed to sign with whatever franchise waves the biggest contract in his face.

What's weird is nobody can offer him more money than The Cavs because of the cap rules.

LOL. Classic Reggie Miller photo.

I always thought a "choke" was when you had a chance to win the game and couldn't deliver. Like being down by 1 and going to the line to shoot 2 free throws and missing them both. Or, a wide open jumper at the buzzer and you can't knock it down. Or, you get in the lane and blow the layup.

I thought what LeBron did last night was just a flat-out "no show". But, yeah, either way I won't disagree. He choked. Big time. Luckily for them, they could still win this series. I won't be surprised if he turns it back on and dominates in Game 6. They're quite capable of winning in Boston. And if they do that, they probably win Game 7 too.

I was thinking about this today, and you're right, you have to at least try to choke. It was a no show, but seems worse than that given the talent level of the guy who no showed. Feels like a stronger phrase should apply, I just don't know what...

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

LeBron had a terrible game, but he's got pressure no one else has. He's the only guy whose team simply cannot win if he has an off game. The Celtics can win if Pierce is off, the Lakers can win if Kobe's off, the Magic can win if Howard's off, and the Suns can win if Nash is off. The Cavs have no such luxury. It's an incredible burden. I will not be surprised at all if he has two great games and the Cavs win the series.

 

[kendoiwan]

LeBron had a terrible game, but he's got pressure no one else has. He's the only guy whose team simply cannot win if he has an off game. The Celtics can win if Pierce is off, the Lakers can win if Kobe's off, the Magic can win if Howard's off, and the Suns can win if Nash is off. The Cavs have no such luxury. It's an incredible burden. I will not be surprised at all if he has two great games and the Cavs win the series.

It's true, Jamison and Mo are failing at the 2nd banana roles. Dwight had a horrible 1st round yet the Magic still swept. Kobe had a less than stellar few games in the 1st round and LA still got it together. The Suns can win if Nash has an off game, but I doubt we could survive an off series from him.

But yes, if Lebron doesn't go Lebron, the Cavs lose, everytime. But this game was different because it wasn't just an off game, it was a game where he wasn't involved. There's a difference between being off, and being passive on both ends. I watched the game, but seeing this video breakdown was still shocking. I've never seen him submit this kind of performance ever...

[youtube=4d-Mnfz6iB0]Say it ain't so?![/youtube]

 

[Willfrey]

Well. Triple-Double and still a loss. Its shaping to be another Lakers//Magic showdown....

But my fingers are crossed still for my Suns.

 

[kendoiwan]

The Suns have a real shot
/Suns fan.

But I think the Celtics will beat the Magic. This is the same team that took them to 7 minus KG last year after all.

 

[INTPness]

Yeah, good luck to you Suns fans. Should be an interesting series. A lot of commentators seem to be saying that the Lakers will trounce the Suns, but I don't see it being a cakewalk. I expect a real challenge from them.

A lot of the commentator stuff that I'm hearing is not that the Lakers are so much better than the Suns, it's more that they think the Lakers create individual matchup problems (i.e., size and length).

I didn't get to see a lot of the Suns this year, but they always strike me as the type of team that can beat any team in the NBA (regardless of home court) on any given night. If your team has a mediocre (or bad) game and the Suns are clicking on all cylinders, you're going to end up in the loss column - and you might even get blown out.

 

[kendoiwan]

Yeah, good luck to you Suns fans. Should be an interesting series. A lot of commentators seem to be saying that the Lakers will trounce the Suns, but I don't see it being a cakewalk. I expect a real challenge from them.

A lot of the commentator stuff that I'm hearing is not that the Lakers are so much better than the Suns, it's more that they think the Lakers create individual matchup problems (i.e., size and length).

I didn't get to see a lot of the Suns this year, but they always strike me as the type of team that can beat any team in the NBA (regardless of home court) on any given night. If your team has a mediocre (or bad) game and the Suns are clicking on all cylinders, you're going to end up in the loss column - and you might even get blown out.

My take: our starting line up can more or less play theirs to a drawn IMO. I believe our advantage is that our bench will pwn theirs. Here's hoping I'm right, I've taken enough shit over Lebron...

 

[INTPness]

My take: our starting line up can more or less play theirs to a drawn IMO. I believe our advantage is that our bench will pwn theirs. Here's hoping I'm right, I've taken enough shit over Lebron...

I think that's the only way the Lakers lose the series. If what you described happens, Lakers are in trouble.

But, most Laker fans are going to say "the reason we have the #1 seed in the West and the reason we are the defending champs, is because nobody can outplay our first 6."

I think where a lot of people underestimate the Lakers is that they don't realize how mobile they are for being so big. If you count Lamar as a 7 footer (he's so long that he might as well be), they have 3 7-footers who can run the floor almost like guards. I think Van Gundy said "the bigger the Lakers' lineup, they actually get faster!" Take Fisher out (slow) and put in Odom (fast) and they just got bigger and faster. Bynum and Gasol get up and down the court very nicely. Most teams have to put a small lineup on the court in order to be fast. Not so with the Lakers. They can be HUGE and FAST at the same time.

 

[kendoiwan]

I think that's the only way the Lakers lose the series. If what you described happens, Lakers are in trouble.

But, most Laker fans are going to say "the reason we have the #1 seed in the West and the reason we are the defending champs, is because nobody can outplay our first 6."

I would respond that if the Thunder had more scoring they would've lost. And the Jazz just didn't have the size to compete.

I think where a lot of people underestimate the Lakers is that they don't realize how mobile they are for being so big. If you count Lamar as a 7 footer (he's so long that he might as well be), they have 3 7-footers who can run the floor almost like guards. I think Van Gundy said "the bigger the Lakers' lineup, they actually get faster!" Take Fisher out (slow) and put in Odom (fast) and they just bigger and faster. Bynum and Gasol get up and down the court very nicely. Most teams have to put a small lineup on the court in order to be fast. Not so with the Lakers. They can be HUGE and FAST at the same time.

Gasol is criminally underrated. Before he came to LA it was 1st round and done if they made the playoffs at all and Kobe wanted out. After Gasol they win 77% of their games and are perennial contenders with basically the same roster plus him.

 

[INTPness]

Gasol is criminally underrated. Before he came to LA it was 1st round and done if they made the playoffs at all and Kobe wanted out. After Gasol they win 77% of their games and are perennial contenders with basically the same roster plus him.

No doubt about it. I knew Gasol was a stud before he came to L.A. And I think he's only gotten better. I'm not just saying it because I'm a Laker fan, but the guy is a beast on the court.

In basketball, there are only 5 guys on the court at a time (unlike baseball where you have 9 and football 11). If a team adds a world-class player to their roster, they just got WAY better! 1 guy represents 20% of your "on-court" output.

The only other thing I would say about having "the exact same roster as they did before Gasol" is that Bynum has also made a very big difference. When he is totally healthy, I think he is almost as good as Gasol. He's capable of putting up the same type of numbers - 15 and 15 type of numbers. If he stays healthy and continues to work hard, he's going to be one of the best big men in the game for years to come.

 

[kendoiwan]

So people can stop acting all shocked about the Celtics dispatching the Cavs now...

 

[INTPness]

*stops acting all shocked that the Celtics dispatched the Cavs*

 

[kendoiwan]

Reports saying Bynum's knee getting worse. Yes!!! Thank god for Kobe setting a horrible example by not resting when he should've, got Bynum following his lead... I already thought we had a good shot, this increases the odds!

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

I've never bought the Bynum hype. He's hurt constantly, and the few times we've gotten to see the fully healthy Bynum, he's been pretty mediocre. I live in LA, and the Laker fans seem to think that he already is what his potential would indicate he could be. But that doesn't seem to be the case to me at all. He has youth on his side, but for right now I'd take a bunch of centers over him.