NBA Best Playoffs Ever

Who's the NBA's Most Valuable Player this season?

  • Chauncey Billups

    Votes: 2 9.5%
  • Kobe Bryant

    Votes: 9 42.9%
  • LeBron James

    Votes: 4 19.0%
  • Steve Nash

    Votes: 3 14.3%
  • Dirk Nowitzki

    Votes: 2 9.5%
  • Dwyane Wade

    Votes: 1 4.8%

  • Total voters
    21

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Jesus, three game 7's including a game 7 double-header Monday night on TNT. :isidro:

And these games include the league MVP on the most fun to watch team, last years Finals contenders and this year's favorites (both coming back from deficits), loveable losers and historically the worst franchise in sports on the verge of the Western Finals, and the the player of the future in LeBron James, taking the champs to game 7 at 21 years old. Not to mention playoff records for games decided by 2 points or less and overtime games... and it's only the second round. The NBA is simply FAN-tastic this year.
 

Uriel

This journey isn't ov--AARGH!
Can't wait for these games! I've had early morning shifts recently, so I miss the West Coast games... but not this week, baby!!! :badbone:
 
The playoffs have been excellent this year, but for that to continue either San Antonio or Detroit needs to be knocked about before the finals. Those are two teams that do not make for anything better than a borefest when they play eachother.

Being a Dallas fan, I'm hoping Jason Terry coming back = win. I'll be routing for the Cavs as well. Cavs vs. Mavs in the finals!
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I was rooting for Dallas going into this series as well, new blood afterall... BUT, after Dallas got a little too big for their britches, the booing of Finley, him getting cheap shot in the jewels (really, can Dallas overcome the karma after cutting the guy and then calling him traior? Insult to injury, man), Cuban acting more like a dumbass (give him some credit for the Spurs rally), and San Antonio showing "the heart of a champion", I've switched to the Spurs.  I don't like the boring "well, I guess we'll go win this year" Spurs, but I do like the underdog Spurs.

So, either way, I'll be happy; may the best team win.


Funny thing, as good as these playoffs are, we might end up with the same final four and finalists. :void:
 
The Finley thing has been unfortunate. I don't mind the booing of Finley because he IS a Spur, and booing is really nothing personal. Every Spur gets their share of booing as long as they are doing something detrimental to Dallas, and Finley has been doing his share of scoring, so it goes with the territory. The problem is how Cuban is acting like a jackass and claiming Fin would do anything as ridiculous as "Hip Piledrive" Jason Terry. I think Terry just got caught up in the moment and did something he regrets, and I'm sure he'll appologize to Finley if he hasn't already. It's mostly just Cuban going overboard with the anti-Finley sentiments. He's probably just angry that he's still gotta pay Finley for gameplay that might contribute to his team's postseason demise.

I think it's Dirk that is hurting the most from Terry's little punch. The guy just wants to reach the next level while he's in his prime, and no matter how incredible he plays his teammates find ways to collapse around him, whether it be in the form of a nut punch or an incredible choke job like game 6.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Well, he's getting booed everytime he touches the ball, and I hear it's wortse, like his family can't even go to games. That's pretty crappy anyway you look at it. San Antonio isn't the Yankees and Dallas isn't the Red Sox.

Anyway, yeah, Cuban needs to shut up and let his players play. The Spurs biggest weakness has always been that they'll fold when they fall behind like this. I watched the Lakers do this to them to the tune of 3 championships and the Finals in '04, they just camew out and died in game 6 after Fisher's game 5 shot, it was over. Anyway, instead of letting that happen, Cuban's made it personal insulting Finley and the city of San Antonio and other such nonsense. How does that help Dallas? They don't need any extra ra ra motivation, it's just pissing the Spurs off. Did you see Tim Duncan when asked about Cuban in the post game? He wants to send Mark and Mavs fishing. And if that happens, I'm giving Cuban the assist.

Also, tough for Dirk if that's how it goes, he's really stepped it up this year and has been great in the playoffs. Last year he played with both hands around his throat, this year he's been a handful. Though he might regret blowing that put back he had in game 5 if things fall apart on Monday.
 
It's all about Clippers bitches!!! Elton Brand MVP!!

Clippers won't roll over like biatches in Game 7 like a certain team did who also plays in L.A.  :chomp:
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I'm reminded of the Washinton Wizard's hilarious "Round 2!" T-shirts from last year. The Clippers can top them by hanging a banner in the rafters to mark the occasion; get some Round 2 victory rings made up. :carcus:

Good team though, hopefully Sterling won't destroy it so the Lakers and Clippers can have a super rivalry for the next few years. Unfortunatly, their weakest link is probably the coach. I've watched Dumbleavy out-coach himself and the Clippy's out of quite a few games this year, including a couple in this round alone, ouch (how about that game 5, Clippers fans!? =).

My favorite has to be when they were playing the Spurs earlier this year. 20 or so seconds left, Spurs' ball, and the Clips lead by 2. They're trying to be a good defensive team, so it's the perfect chance to win a game with a stop against the defending champs and send a message, right? Wrong. Dumbleavy instead calls for them to intentionally foul Tim Duncan! Duncan had missed something like 11 free throws on this night, so if you think you're so fucking smart, and you want to send the message your team really isn't that good and you have no faith in them, this was the call to make. Anyway, as soon as I saw this afront to the game, intentionally giving up the tying free throws, not only was I apalled and disgusted, but I knew proud Duncan, with the blessing of the basketball Gods, would knock them both down. Swish. Swish. Clank on the other end. Spurs win it in overtime.

Anyway, it takes some kind of genius coach to insult and challenge the 3 time champion, 5 time league and finals MVP to win the game, huh?
 
ZODDGUTSU said:
It's all about Clippers bitches!!! Elton Brand MVP!!

Clippers won't roll over like biatches in Game 7 like a certain team did who also plays in L.A.  :chomp:

Fuck the Suns. GO CLIPS!

It's just too bad that whomever wins the Pheonix/LA series will be assraped in the next round by the highly pissed off Western Conference powerhouse that survives the SA/DALLAS matchup. The brackets this year were really out of wack. There's just no way the Suns or Clips can play at the level needed to not get pulverized in the WCF, that's why they should have been both eliminated in the second round.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
You never know, these playoffs have been pretty wild thus far and anything could happen (that said, we may still get the same match ups as last year =). I think the Clips would at least have a puncher's chance, and they match up well with San Antonio.

Anyway, that might not matter, the Mavs have gone CRAZY in the first half so far. They really show up for Game 7's. :isidro:
 

trapped_soul

"This is it. It's over."
"Griffith No More!" said:
Anyway, that might not matter, the Mavs have gone CRAZY in the first half so far. They really show up for Game 7's. :isidro:

well so much for the spurs. ^^

anyway looks like some very interesting conference finals.
 
I nearly had a heartattack at the end of that Mavs/Spurs game 7. Mavs won that game on one mistake by Ginobli, the foul he put on Dirk when Dirk made that last drive to the basket. Luckily, the refs let them play on the last posession and didn't call any ticky-tack fouls when the Mavs crowded Duncan's last shot. I don't see why Duncan complains so damned much, the refs are usually pretty generous with letting him rough up the defense, but Duncan still complains EVERY time he gets called for a foul.

It is not looking like the Pistons are shoe-ins for the finals either. They looked like shit in the Cavs series, and looked like even worse shit tonight in game 1 vs. Miami. I have no idea what is wrong with that team, they looked so good in the regular season.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I understand what Ginobili was trying to do, with the way Dirk's been getting calls down the stretch of games, he just wanted to prevent the basket, but Dirk was too good. And yeah, even though Duncan got fouled on the last play, Ginobili had a great look before and you don't finish a team on a call like that (send it to overtime, yes, decide the game, no). Even Duncan agreed afterward it was the right call. Anyway, man are the Spurs getting disrespected by the media, you'd think they got swept in this series, but it was a classic. It's a shame that people who didn't watch it will only get fed the simplified "Mavs were the better team" line. That even shortchanges the Mavs' accomplishment which ended up being amazing (shooting over 80% to start, 69% in the half, then blowing a 20 lead to go down by 3 with 30 seconds left, to winning in overtime on the champs home floor), they really had to prove it, and they weren't just the "better team" until they did at the end of game 7.

Anyway, how about this for the Pistons, they were one of the worst teams when it came to points in the paint this year (maybe the worst in the league actually). Basically, Ben is giving them even less than before and they're defense isn't as good as it was, and they were winning games on the run like the old Dallas Mavericks except they're individual talent and offense isn't good enough to carry that kind of offense into the playoffs consistantly (especially against better defense). I don't think they're in that much trouble yet, but unless they rediscover that team play that made them better than the sum of their parts, Miami looks like the loaded team while Detroit just looks mediocre.

Also, credit Larry Brown for knowing how to make those players better than the sum of their parts (deliberate set offense, super D, grind out style). Also, they basically practiced that kind of deliberate offense all through the season and that made them better in the playoffs, where they still only did just enough to win.
 
The Pistons have an overrated opinion of themselves that is going to prove a burden. They are in no position to be making "Gauran-Sheeds" and saying things like "there is only one team that can challenge us". That one team that they claimed can challenge them is already eliminated, and they have since been challenged by a mediocre Cav's team and have lost homecourt to an energized Heat team. Not to mention Ben Wallace is looking like the biggest liability any team has ever had. The guy just cannot make a free throw to save his life. Any team that needs to buy some time before the final 2 minute mark can waste some bench fouls by playing hack-a-Wallace. Hell, Miami already startedhacking Wallace, and they were up 10 when they started. I just don't see this Pistons team winning another title. Ever. Flip isn't going to get them back to locking opponents down defensively like they have in the past, and their offense is inconsistent to say the least.

And as for the Spurs, it was clear that they were the inferior team, but they are going to be back next year with a retooled bench that will make them a strong contender again. They will shed Van-Exel and possibly Horry, replacing them with some younger, faster players that will be able to stay in front of fast gaurds like Terry and Harris. I see another insanely good Mavs vs. Spurs series approaching next year, with neither team being a clear favorite going in.
 
Bastards here didn't show Game 7 of the Mav/Spurs :miura:

They're killing me. I'm only getting the Eastern Conference finals as well :judo:

Pistons looked mighty good today. As soon as Billups hit his first shot (a 3 early in the 3rd) it was over.

Still think the Mavs will do it out West. Not sure about the East though...
 
I can see Mavs in 6. Not because I'm a homer, but because I honestly feel sorry for a team who's third option is Antoine fucking Walker. We had him on Dallas one year, and I tell you, the guy can drag a team down to the depths of hell with his poor judgement and even poorer shooting touch. Also, the Heat on a whole are not shooting well from the Free throw line, Shaq especially.

Fatoine Walker + poor free throw shooting = lose to a team that is deeper.
 
S

smoke

Guest
What's with all this sports talk? We're supposed to be anime geeks here! Come on.

I go Mavs. I hate the Heat on the basis that all their players are douches.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
smoke said:
We're supposed to be anime geeks here! Come on.

I don't see the difference where the World Cup thread is concerned; you'll notice unlike other sports threads on SK.net, it has no shortage of geeky chatter and general interest. It's as if team Midgar is playing in group FF7. =)


Anyway, I don't think the Heat are finished by any means, because the ball didn't go through Shaq enough and obviously the Heat weren't prepared for Terry. Plus, they've had loses in all three rounds where they've just looked like a different team. On the other hand, when Dirk and Howard shoot that poorly and the team is totally outplayed in the first half and they still end up winning by 10, that ain't good for the Heat.

Anyway, game 1 was basically a feel out, nothing amazing happened and Terry's game carried the Mavs, but that had to be the most unsatisfying 10 point win ever. The Heat were right there in the last 2 minutes, and getting stops, but they just kept turning the ball over or taking bad shots. I think Game 2 will be much more telling. But it's hard t get a feel for the Finals because of the wonky format change.

I like the Mavs, plus it's my perfect post-Lakers playoff scenario; the Pistons have been dispatched, their '04 championship a fluke, and now Shaq, having avenged the Lakers, must fall on his sword. =)
 

maximus

Es ist einsam im Nebel zu wandern...
I go for Nowitzki as MVP! He is just so important for the MAVS and really plays an outstanding season! Yet I like the Miami Heat too and I would really like to see GP and Zo celebrating their rings,...however I feel like Dallas is ready for their first title and it is not finally Heat time this year!

I can't wait to see the next game at 3 a.m. here in austria!o_O
:guts:

Dwyane is great by the way!;)
 
ZODDGUTSU said:
Even with Mavs playing that bad they still won. I see Mavs winning this series in 5 games.

That, my man, is a big call!

Nerves dominated Game 1. Hopefully both sides will loosen up for tomorrow's match.

smoke said:
What's with all this sports talk? We're supposed to be anime geeks here! Come on.

A good friend of mine once called me a Demi-Nerd. Very apt I thought. :serpico:
 
Top Bottom