2009 NBA Finals

[JJChicken]

Today's the big game!

 

[Chiboy]

Reply 2601 says: Lakers.

 

[JJChicken]

Originally posted by: Chiboy
Reply 2601 says: Lakers.

Yeah it looks like Lakers will win in 5 (I'm calling it).


But who knows? We've written off the Magic as underdogs this whole season.

 

[JJChicken]

I personally think J.Nelson is being selfish about trying to play in the Finals. The Magic got here this far without him and now he is taking away all the spotlight from this team and is also possibly getting them unfocused from the job ahead :|

 

[Inspector Jihad]

lol @ people calling billups and wallace superstars. no, that whole superstar business is bullshit. they won with a 4 all-stars (5 if you count prince as one despite being snubbed) and a deep bench.

 

[JJChicken]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
lol @ people calling billups and wallace superstars. no, that whole superstar business is bullshit. they won with a 4 all-stars (5 if you count prince as one despite being snubbed) and a deep bench.

I think billups deserves to be considered a superstar - he's led I think now 7 teams to the conference finals? How many players can do that? He's worked wonders with the nuggets. That said, before this season, I could see where you are coming from - but what hes done this year + what happened to the pistons cements his position as an all-time great. Maybe not for his skills but for his leadership.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: Barack Obama

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
lol @ people calling billups and wallace superstars. no, that whole superstar business is bullshit. they won with a 4 all-stars (5 if you count prince as one despite being snubbed) and a deep bench.

I think billups deserves to be considered a superstar - he's led I think now 7 teams to the conference finals? How many players can do that? He's worked wonders with the nuggets. That said, before this season, I could see where you are coming from - but what hes done this year + what happened to the pistons cements his position as an all-time great. Maybe not for his skills but for his leadership.

I agree, you could make the argument now that Billups is a superstar (although I still don't think he is), but wasn't one 5 years ago.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle

Originally posted by: Barack Obama

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
lol @ people calling billups and wallace superstars. no, that whole superstar business is bullshit. they won with a 4 all-stars (5 if you count prince as one despite being snubbed) and a deep bench.

I think billups deserves to be considered a superstar - he's led I think now 7 teams to the conference finals? How many players can do that? He's worked wonders with the nuggets. That said, before this season, I could see where you are coming from - but what hes done this year + what happened to the pistons cements his position as an all-time great. Maybe not for his skills but for his leadership.

I agree, you could make the argument now that Billups is a superstar (although I still don't think he is), but wasn't one 5 years ago.

he's not a superstar. there are very few superstars in this league and its a joke to count him as one. he's very good but its absurd if you put the nuggets success just on him.

 

[Syringer]

DWIGHT! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw0UxIzOghI

 

[Baked]

Originally posted by: Barack Obama
I think billups deserves to be considered a superstar - he's led I think now 7 teams to the conference finals? How many players can do that? He's worked wonders with the nuggets. That said, before this season, I could see where you are coming from - but what hes done this year + what happened to the pistons cements his position as an all-time great. Maybe not for his skills but for his leadership.

If Billups is a super star, nuggets would've destroyed the lakers in 5 with the supporting cast he got, but if you read this following comment by bill simmons, he's more like a super no show when it matters the most.

Q. How long do you think I can keep milking this "Mr. Big Shot" gimmick without anyone pointing out my nasty habit of disappearing in deciding games?
-- C. Billups, Denver

SG: Chauncey! You're alive! I thought you had died after Game 4 of the Lakers series; what a relief! Anyway, I give you credit for bringing this up. You no-showed in Games 5 and 6 of the 2003 Eastern finals (playing injured, but still); the entire 2004 Eastern finals (Detroit still won); Game 7 of the 2005 NBA Finals; Games 5 and 6 of the 2006 Miami series; and Game 6 of the 2007 Cavs series. You inexplicably disappeared for the first four games of the 2008 Boston series. And I mistakenly thought you had passed away after Game 4 of the 2009 Lakers series. That's an inordinate amount of no-shows, no? I vote that we change your nickname back to "Chauncey."

 

[zerocool84]

I figure starting line-up changes will be Gasol on Howard and Odom on Lewis. Bynum just isn't good enough offensively and defensively for Howard and Gasol can work that Euro-flopping talent that all Euro's have to put Howard in foul trouble.

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: zerocool84
I figure starting line-up changes will be Gasol on Howard and Odom on Lewis. Bynum just isn't good enough offensively and defensively for Howard and Gasol can work that Euro-flopping talent that all Euro's have to put Howard in foul trouble.

They might use Bynum to get some early hard fouls on Howard.

He is just too strong down low for Gasol. However, once Dwight is outside the key, he turns into an average player.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: OCguy

Originally posted by: zerocool84
I figure starting line-up changes will be Gasol on Howard and Odom on Lewis. Bynum just isn't good enough offensively and defensively for Howard and Gasol can work that Euro-flopping talent that all Euro's have to put Howard in foul trouble.

They might use Bynum to get some early hard fouls on Howard.

He is just too strong down low for Gasol. However, once Dwight is outside the key, he turns into an average player.

Yea if he learned a jumping hook or a little mid-range jumper, he'd be an even better player. He's still young so he has years to practice.

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: OCguy

Originally posted by: zerocool84
I figure starting line-up changes will be Gasol on Howard and Odom on Lewis. Bynum just isn't good enough offensively and defensively for Howard and Gasol can work that Euro-flopping talent that all Euro's have to put Howard in foul trouble.

They might use Bynum to get some early hard fouls on Howard.

He is just too strong down low for Gasol. However, once Dwight is outside the key, he turns into an average player.

Bynums main purpose for this series imo is to not pick up cheap fouls and stay in the game as long as possible to rest the starters, particularly when they're in foul trouble (which they will get in since they are going to collapse and help on howard.)

On the offensive side he's going to be the recipient when lakers drive to the hoop, draw howard, and then kick it to him. Problem for the Lakers is that Orlando collapses and helps Howard really well, like they did against Lebron and the Cavs, and the lakers need to hit 3's when drawing the defense (exactly what the Cavs didn't do.)

 

[Baked]

ESPN breaking news. Apparently Nelson's playing tonight. /palmface Fisher's gonna clock him.

 

[OCGuy]

Magic had a great rhythm going, interesting that they would throw him back in there unless he is truley 90-100%.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Baked
ESPN breaking news. Apparently Nelson's playing tonight. /palmface Fisher's gonna clock him.

I just went to ESPN.com and saw nothing. Link please.

Edit:

I found a link that still says the players say he will play but SVG is still pessimistic and not definite.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/.../news/story?id=4224810

They certainly don't want to throw in Nelson and risk more injury and he hasn't played in like 5 months so no way is his conditioning up to snuff and he'll be rusty as hell. Playing in practice is never substitute for real games.

 

[Baked]

ESPN.com is slow. I saw the news on ESPN sports center.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

everyone mentions gasols defense on howard but what about the other way around. guarding gasol straight up is going to be a pretty big task for howard.

 

[herkulease]

Yeah its on the ticker for espnews too. Seriously if SVG is dumb enough to put in Nelson then Magic can just quit now. Fisher is gonna go out there and give him a hard foul just to see how ready he is.

There's really no point in trying to play mind games in the finals. If Nelson gets hurt again SVG will be called out for being an idiot.

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: herkulease

There's really no point in trying to play mind games in the finals. If Nelson gets hurt again SVG will be called out for being an idiot.

Yes but if he goes out and puts up 30 one night, SVG is a genious to the media. It could go either way.

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: Syringer
DWIGHT! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw0UxIzOghI

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: OCguy

Originally posted by: herkulease

There's really no point in trying to play mind games in the finals. If Nelson gets hurt again SVG will be called out for being an idiot.

Yes but if he goes out and puts up 30 one night, SVG is a genious to the media. It could go either way.

i don't think the risk is worth the reward.

 

[herkulease]

Originally posted by: OCguy

Originally posted by: herkulease

There's really no point in trying to play mind games in the finals. If Nelson gets hurt again SVG will be called out for being an idiot.

Yes but if he goes out and puts up 30 one night, SVG is a genious to the media. It could go either way.

I doubt a guy who hasn't played in 4 months will put 30. Unless the Lakers get stupid and decide not to play any interior defense(if that's the case, howard would've killed them no need for Jameer) and Fisher for one reason or another doesn't try to drop Nelson 1st chance he gets.

 

[zerocool84]

If Ga-soft shows up, Magic win, if Gasol shows up, Lakers win.