Assuming Turkoglu comes back full strength, I’m sorta thinking along your lines, DC, and I’m a huge Lakers fan (not a big Kobe fan, so back the eff off). Orlando really beat up on the Lakers in the regular season, really impressed the heck out of me, so we’ll see how much losing Jameer Nelson will matter. And I’m wondering if Howard’s stamina is starting to wane what with the Olympics and all. His numbers tailed off a fair amount in the second half. However, the playoffs are spread out enough for him to get his rest.
Maybe I’m just being too cautious, but I could really see problems for the Lakers in West. DWill seems to always have big games against the Lakers and the last thing they need is a rough series heading into Portland or Houston, my darkhorse.
That said, if I had to predict, it would be the Lakers winning it all. When they lost this year it seemed less a talent issue than an effort issue (well, except in Portland), which is understandable when you’re 10 games up on the rest of the Conference. They really seemed to have their way with the Cavs in the regular season and I think that’s telling. Big Z & Sideshow Bob just have no prayer at matching up against Gasol, Bynum & Odom. Watch for Trevor Ariza to make life difficult… well, just not as easy… for King James. (I didn’t see a lot of the Cavs this year – ironic considering I had LeBron on my fantasy team – just how the heck did the Cavs win 67 games this year??? Maybe I’m wrong, but the supporting cast after Mo Williams – and Delonte West, a real underrated player–just doesn’t seem that great to me. Or is it all LeBron???)
Although the Lakers point guards are very average, Derek Fisher has a way of coming up big in the post season and I would predict for Sasha Vujacic to come out of his season-long slump; he’s just better than he’s played all season. There’s just too much depth and length for the Lakers; they have to be the obvious pick, IMHO. But far from a locki.
It wouldn’t shock me if Boston came out of the East, though (surprise yes, shock no) and even without Garnett, all bets are off against the Lakers. It wasn’t just Garnett that schooled the Lakers in the Finals; it was the whole damn team. And Rondo’s improvement could spell trouble. And nine rings or not, Phil Jackson is not a great strategy/substitution guy. I could see him getting outcoached again.
Ariza is a tremendous defender. I was v. pissed when the Magic let him go.
I don’t think Boston has a snowball’s chance in hell of making it to the ECFs without Garnett.
Exactly. You don’t think the LeBrons will get at least two very questionable calls per quarter, playing at home with the league office desperate for Jordan II to revive the league?
The league seems pretty happy marketing Mighty Dwight, y’know. Orlando has gotten less attention this season than any 2nd seed I can remember, but Howard gets a ton.
Its possible, but if i believed it was likely i really wouldn’t bother watching the NBA at all. I know stars get the calls, but i don’t think teams are intentionally sabotaged.
Lebron James.
Dwight Howard.
Really? You’re saying that if the NBA had to pick, they’d take Dwight Howard? I’m pretty sure you’re not saying that. I think that they’d be happy with having Dwight Howard/Kobe Bryant in the Finals, but I think they’ll put a Groucho Marx mask on Tim Donaghy and trot him out first before they organically let it happen.
Oh, no. I’m just saying I don’t think they’d be crushed if Orlando knocks off the Cavaliers. The league is smart enough to understand that two young superstars selling shoes and Gatorade are better than one- and it’s not like LeBron is going to get any bigger. He’s already arguably the most sought-after pitchman in sports.
If the Magic were to win the NBA title, on the other hand, Dwight would become an instant household name, capable of drawing nearly as much media attention and selling as much Sprite as LeBron or Kobe. Plus he’s practically an altar boy- has never consumed alcohol, only one illegitimate child…
LeBron actually (from what I’ve seen in read) doesn’t get many star calls. He plays a very physical style and they let him play - the other teams try to beat the crap out of him and a lot of it doesn’t get called. He isn’t playing by Jordan rules.
First off, it was pretty much all LeBron. Mo Williams is nice and was good for a couple amazing games a month, Big Z a little less so. The rest of their pieces are pretty shabby, offensively (Pavlovic? Spare me). Sideshow Bob is deceptively important, I think: hustle guy, annoying, would love to have him on your favorite team sort of guy. If you had him on your fantasy team, you at least saw the evidence of what he did this year.
(Though, really, that wasn’t fair of me about Mo Williams: his presence makes other teams more honest and he was pretty consistent. Definitely their second best offensive player. He’s got a good swagger going too)
I agree with you on Derek Fisher. He will have a few great playoff games. He always does. Vujacic, on the other hand, I cannot speak objectively about since I want to punch his face constantly.
The Cavs have great chemistry and they all hustle on D. Varejao is like Shane Battier, the stats don’t account for what he does. Mo and Delonte are good guards and I’m glad the Cavs have them. LeBron sits for the first part of the 2nd quarter and those guys keep the second unit dangerous offensively. Z gets unfairly maligned because he’s not a prototypical center. Because of the foot injuries early in his career he’s become more of a shooter who has to move efficiently and pick his spots around the basket. He’s one of the better shooting big men in the league. He’ll hit 15 foot jumpers all game if you let him.
They’ve got enough depth now that Sasha Pavlovic, who was a big part of the 2007 team that went to the Finals, barely plays now.
There are many videos of him on YouTube walking through the paint and not getting called for traveling.
No one gets called for travelling. He doesn’t get the “you touched the star!” calls of something like Dwayne Wade for example.
Actually, LeBron apparently does occasionally get called for traveling.
Because of LeBron’s size and speed (and really, sometimes just because of the size), he almost falls under Shaq rules, where he’s so much bigger and stronger than the person that’s supposed to guard him, it’s hard to call consistent fouls (or non fouls) on him.
I’m with you on the Dwyane Wade thing, though. He pinballed around more when Shaq was on the team, though.
Mr. Wade has brought his game up, though, which is a good thing for everyone.
I agree. Lebron plays a physical style (and teams try to beat him the hell up) and I think the best solution is to hold back on the foul calls except for the egregious stuff. I just don’t like the idea that LeBron gets some star treatment with too many calls in his favor - if you watch him, he really works out there, absorbing as much punishment as anyone, and still does his job.
I think the league has been revived, LeBron is on track to become Jordan II regardless of this season’s playoffs, and I don’t think they’re that desperate anymore. Been a fan since 1980 and this is the best brand of NBA basketball I’ve ever seen. And in the wake of the Donaghy scandal, I don’t think Mr. Stern will be as quick to create a referee situation that that will question the integrity of the game.
And its all gonna go out the window when the CBA expires and theres a lockout 
I’m a Knicks fan. Want playoff talk? Ok…that Larry Johnson 4-point play sure was something, wasn’t it?
As mentioned upthread, I’m a Warriors fan of about eleven years. Remember when Matt Barnes dunked on Dirk? Yes! A full decade boiled down into one awesome upset. I can’t wait to watch these boys get 35 wins next year. I’m giddy.