My perfect scenario is that they beat the Magic, but the Lakers sweep the Celtics and embarass them. However, reality makes me think that we’d match up better against the Magic and would have an easier time with them, so I’m hoping they come back and beat the Celtics in 6 or 7.
I don’t happen to be watching the game that’s going on now, but I am keeping tabs on it. I’ve always been flabbergasted that Stoudemire is not a rebounding monster, particularly in a game of this magnitude - 1 board through the first quarter. This after he calls Lamar Odom lucky for his 19 point 19 rebound game 1 effort. Pathetic.
Concur with you about Stoudemire. All reports were saying Stoudemire’s focusing on defense and rebounding these days but either: a.) he’s not, he’s still lazy/apathetic when it comes to the less glamorous aspects of the game; or b.) he’s not as good as Odom or Gasol. Because after calling Odom lucky, Odom beat him on the boards in fewer minutes and almost outscored him. And Gasol completely abused him.
As a Lakers fan, I’m thrilled they have finally started playing like champions, but it kinda bugs me that they sleepwalk through the regular season the way they do. Phil plays the endgame and it works for them, but it lessens my interest in the regular season. (And yes, they sleptwalked through 61 wins.)
One of my friends made this statement and I completely agree: I’d rather they lose in the Conference Finals than lose to Boston in the Finals. Boston scares me, but the Lakers can beat them this time.
BTW, since everyone else is chiming in on Lebron – and soon Delonte West and Lebron’s mom – three things aren’t being mentioned much about his future:
1.) Ownership/management: AFAIK, Dolan (Knicks) is still a buffoon and the Chicago front office/coaching situation is its usual mess. I’m betting Lebron’s FIRST consideration is who the people are that are writing his checks.
2.) His peers. This is otherwise known as the Gretzky argument. He left a great team because he wanted to be someplace he could be around people of his social stature and with the Jay Z’s & Beyonces of the world reside someplace besides Cleveland, I can’t see him staying there. I mean, really, how many of us decided to stay in our home towns once we outgrew it? For sure, Lebron has outgrown Cleveland.
3.) The likelihood of a sign-and-trade. There are a lot of teams out there with chips and with Cleveland knowing if they lose him (and at some point they’ll know it) they’re gonna wanna get something in return or hoops in that city is done.
In other words: don’t exclude teams like the Dallas Mavericks as Lebron’s future team. Mark Cuban structured Erik Dampier’s contract for reasons connected to this free agent class.
Oh yeah, and how about those Delonte-and-Mom-Lebron rumors? I could see it (not that I find Delonte West attractive).
I’m gonna go waaaaay out on a limb here and say its going to be a Celtics/Lakers championship series, with Boston winning it all in 6…
So I’ve always been interested in basketball, but I’ve always watched without an ongoing real rooting interest. I may favor one team or another on a game-to-game or even year-to-year basis, but I’ve never had a team that’s “my team” in this particular sport.
Yesterday the Nets held a press conference to introduce their new owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. Bill Simmons has been calling him the “mutant Russian Mark Cuban,” but I’m not sure that really does justice to this guy. At one point, I’m pretty sure he intimated that he plans to use the Russian Mafia to force LeBron James to sign with New Jersey.
So that’s it. My long-held basketball agnosticism has come to an end. I think I’m going to become a Nets fan.
With that said, I think New Jersey is a great fit for James, and am surprised that so many people are sleeping on the possibility. They have more young talent than their W-L record last year would suggest. Brook Lopez is going to be a good player. Everyone keeps suggesting that LeBron should go to the Knicks and join up with Chris Bosh. Well, Lopez might not be Chris Bosh, not quite. But Lopez’s numbers in his second season (18.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG [3.3 OFF], 2.3 APG, 1.7 BPG) look remarkably similar to, or in fact better than, Bosh’s in his own second season (16.8 PPG, 8.9 RPG [2.4 OFF], 1.9 APG, 1.4 BPG). In two years, Lopez might be providing value not far off the mark of where Chris Bosh is - but while Bosh will be playing for the maximum of close to it, Lopez will still be under a contract paying him less than $7M for the next two years.
So take Lopez. Add in Devin Harris, who is only a year removed from a 21PPG season, is only 27, and will make a relatively modest $8.4M next year. Add a power forward, probably Derrick Favors, with the #3 pick in the upcoming draft. You have room enough to sign LeBron and put him on a team with three guys under 30 who are young, talented, and cheap enough that you can add one more veteran wingman without stretching much. A starting lineup of Harris, say Ray Allen, LeBron James, Favors, and Lopez, with Yi Jianlian, Courtney Lee, and Chris Douglas-Roberts coming off the bench would probably make the Nets a 50-win team next year.
With the Nets, LeBron could forge an identity as the guy who made the franchise truly relevant for the first time in, really, its history. He wouldn’t be playing in anyone’s shadow, since he’d be the best Net ever by several miles. In a year, he’d move to a cool location along the East coast - similar to joining the Knicks, but with a much better supporting cast and an owner who looks like a good player’s owner, rather than an owner who has the impossible handicap of being, you know, James Dolan.
Come to New Jersey, LeBron. In New York it will be the same as it was in Cleveland; guys like Danilo Gallinari bricking open jumpers in the clutch. In Chicago you will forever be second best, and let’s face it, after Derrick Rose, what’s so great about that team? You really want to play with Joakim Noah? The Clippers? Please. You’d rather work for Donald Sterling, who looks like The Mummy, than for a possibly Mob-connected Russian billionaire who is an even bet to say “if he dies, he dies” the first time some Net opponent gets hurt?
I just don’t get Stoudemire. Is he lazy or just doesn’t care? He reiterated last night, AGAIN!, that he wasn’t backing down from the comments about a lucky game. And this after getting only 6 rebounds and being the #2 option on that team, playing 40 mins to Lamar’s 33? I hope somebody from LA gets a microphone in front of his face before game 3.
:eek: Wait, so it’s true?!? I thought it was a joke story! That explains his game 5…
Did you get that CNNSI.com’s Ian Thompson too? I can’t believe it, the Mavs of all teams. I don’t see why Lebron would go there versus, say, San Antonio, or LA, or just about any good team in the West.
and it’ll never happen but …
sa would be a perfect fit for him. duncan is getting older and sure doesn’t mind sharing the load. parker and hill are a pretty good 1 2 punch from the point. and if he gets stopped he just kicks it out to manu. and mc dyess and blair just clean up the mess inside.
but it reminds me of the cajun who went to hell. after a week he is just sitting around smiling and satan says whatup? he replies that he is from southern la and this is nothing compared to the swamps in august. so he turns up the temp. same conversation happens again about a week later. so satan really turns up the heat. same response about a week later. so satan thinks time for reverse psychology. sticks him in an area of hell where there are glaciers and snows every day. colder than a witches tit. satan comes back in a week and the dude is shivering and laughing his ass off. satan wonders how this can be and the dude replies “this must mean the saints won the super bowl”.
The Nets made the NBA Finals twice in the past 10 years - that is relevant. James is also not miles ahead of either Jason Kidd or Julius Erving.
He will be.
I’ll agree to disagree here. Jason Kidd is on the short list for greatest point guards in league history, and Dr J was arguably the best player in the game for a period of time (in the waning days of the ABA). I don’t see any player, Jordan included, as being miles ahead.
I think we’re OK agreeing to disagree. 
No, not sure from where I heard it.
I’m sure Lebron is looking at every possibility – he’s stated as much – and I’m sure every team (within reason) is trying to figure out if landing him is possible. Cuban might be a little more aggressive than some owners, though and willing to give up & spend more. One thing that might work against him is the lawsuit from Dallas’s minority owners (IIRC) regarding the financial losses incurred under Cuban’s reign.
[quote=“YogSosoth, post:147, topic:536937”]
:eek: Wait, so it’s true?!? I thought it was a joke story! That explains his game 5…
QUOTE]
Well, I saw it on the internet… and since this is on the internet… sure it’s true!
Actually, I do have a close friend who has represented a fair share of pro athletes (he’s a detective) and apparently Lebron’s mom isn’t exactly pristine.
I’m late back to this thread… but Amare effort in game 2 was sad… he got utterly dominated by Gasol. His defense was even more pathetic than usual. Hopefully he will keep his mouth shut. Obviously someone has neglected to tell Channing Frye and Rashad Lewis that this round has already begun…
I like Boston against your Lakers… I think Bynum’s injury is going to be exposed when the inevitable happens… Boston and LA meet AGAIN lol
Its one hour until game time. We’ll find out if the Magic have any heart or if the whole Vince Carter experiment has been a mistake. Frankly I’m shocked at their utter collapse, which is exactly what it is. The Magic are better than an 0-2 hole when they have home court, they have to show it today or else they can just give up for game 4
Well i love the game… but third quarter… i went to watch something else. The Magic quit… those bastards just quit like a bunch of dogs! Watching Vince Carter… and Nelson… and Lewis look like somebody stole their dog… sick sick sick Even Jeff Van Gundy had to call them out… The Magic are soft… they need to see the Wizard and get that transplant… cause these fools have no Heart… Big Baby is just out hustling all of their asses…
Geez.. after the Suns quit tomorrow. can D Stern just call game fours off.. and let em rest for a week then get the Finals on with?? Please???The Celtics are using some sort of quit-inducing voodoo.
This is the Magic team the Cavs were looking forward to, the team they were designed to beat. I said all season that Vince Carter would disappear as soon as a team played some physical D against him.
But who knew the Celtics would be ready to bring it like they have? I hate to commend those guys, but hats off. They showed no hint of this in March. I think they’ll win it all, and I think they’re a legit contender next season, depending on what they do with Allen. I would have bet anything against what they’re doing now.
Agreed on the Magic, they’re done. They’ll need to tweak their roster for next season if they want to be good enough to win the championship.
Nice to see the Suns putting up a fight against the Lakers. Call me crazy, but I want my Lakers to have some adversity on their way to the Finals. 2 years ago they dominated the West and were not able to handle the Celtics. I want them to lose a game to the Suns and give them a needed boost in order to get their minds right.