Re: NBA Playoffs

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Here are the first round matchups:

 

WEST

No. 1 L.A. Lakers vs. No. 8 Denver

No. 2 New Orleans vs. No. 7 Dallas

No. 3 San Antonio vs. No. 6 Phoenix

No. 4 Utah vs. No. 5 Houston

 

EAST

No. 1 Boston vs. No. 8 Atlanta

No. 2 Detroit vs. No. 7 Philadelphia

No. 3 Orlando vs. No. 6 Toronto

No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Washington

 

While I'm not really looking forward to any of the first round matchups in the East, all four Western matchups seem to be entertaining.

 

Predictions, anyone?

[RedFlash]

Here are the first round matchups:

 

WEST

No. 1 L.A. Lakers vs. No. 8 Denver

No. 2 New Orleans vs. No. 7 Dallas

No. 3 San Antonio vs. No. 6 Phoenix

No. 4 Utah vs. No. 5 Houston

 

While I'm not really looking forward to any of the first round matchups in the East, all four Western matchups seem to be entertaining.

 

Predictions, anyone?

 

There's some rematches from last season. Like PHX/SA (and the Spurs won't be using their hockey thuggery to check Nash into the crowd), and Utah and Houston.

 

I believe the Lakers will be sent home by Denver (my lone BOLD prediction). In a non-upset upset, I see Dallas knocking off New Orleans. San Antono moving past Phx quickly, and Houston finally making it past the first rd.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Go Cavs Go

[imb]

No. 1 L.A. Lakers vs. No. 8 Denver

No. 2 New Orleans vs. No. 7 Dallas

No. 3 San Antonio vs. No. 6 Phoenix

No. 4 Utah vs. No. 5 Houston

 

EAST

No. 1 Boston vs. No. 8 Atlanta

No. 2 Detroit vs. No. 7 Philadelphia

No. 3 Orlando vs. No. 6 Toronto

No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Washington

 

LA

Dallas

Phoenix

Utah

 

Boston

Detroit

Orlando

Cleveland

 

LA

Phoenix

 

Boston

Detroit

 

Phoenix

Boston

 

Phoenix

[SpongeWorthy]

Here are the first round matchups:

 

WEST

No. 1 L.A. Lakers vs. No. 8 Denver

No. 2 New Orleans vs. No. 7 Dallas

No. 3 San Antonio vs. No. 6 Phoenix

No. 4 Utah vs. No. 5 Houston

 

While I'm not really looking forward to any of the first round matchups in the East, all four Western matchups seem to be entertaining.

 

Predictions, anyone?

 

There's some rematches from last season. Like PHX/SA (and the Spurs won't be using their hockey thuggery to check Nash into the crowd), and Utah and Houston.

 

I believe the Lakers will be sent home by Denver (my lone BOLD prediction). In a non-upset upset, I see Dallas knocking off New Orleans. San Antono moving past Phx quickly, and Houston finally making it past the first rd.

 

I would say Denver over LA, while not a huge upset, would be fairly surprising. Dallas over NO slightly less. I think the whole lack of experience angle is being overblown for the Hornets. Paul is the only player without it--and he's just way too good not to abuse Kidd.

 

I think the Lakers are going to blow Denver away. Kobe is going to be a man possessed and Phil vs. Karl is a monstrous advantage for the Lakers. The Lakers are very dangerous, IMO. Phil has never lost a series where he's had the best player in the world with a decent supporting cast (once we got past Detroit of course!).

 

Spurs vs. PHX is a toss-up but I'll be pulling for the Suns because I like entertaining basketball and I have an irrational hatred for Ginobili.

 

Should be an awesome playoff series despite the epic failure of the Bulls season.

[rawaction]

Here are the first round matchups:

 

WEST

No. 1 L.A. Lakers vs. No. 8 Denver

No. 2 New Orleans vs. No. 7 Dallas

No. 3 San Antonio vs. No. 6 Phoenix

No. 4 Utah vs. No. 5 Houston

 

EAST

No. 1 Boston vs. No. 8 Atlanta

No. 2 Detroit vs. No. 7 Philadelphia

No. 3 Orlando vs. No. 6 Toronto

No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Washington

 

While I'm not really looking forward to any of the first round matchups in the East, all four Western matchups seem to be entertaining.

 

Predictions, anyone?

 

LA over Denver in 4

Dallas over N.O. in 7

PHX over S.A in 6

Houston over Utah in 7

 

Boston over ATL in 4

Detroit over Philly in 5

Orlando over Toronto in 6

Wash over Cleveland in 6

 

LA over Houston in 6

Dallas over PHX in 6

 

Boston over Wash in 5

Detroit over Orlando in 5

 

LA over Dallas in 6

Boston over Detroit in 7

 

Lakers over Celtics in 6 for NBA title.

[Butterscup1679666578]

The Western Conference playoffs should be a heck of a lot of fun this year. I'll be very interested this year.

[Guest]

The Western Conference playoffs should be a heck of a lot of fun this year. I'll be very interested this year.

 

Agreed. There isn't a first round series in the West that looks like it will be boring and the next two rounds should be entertaining as well. Even if you think the Lakers are going to roll over Denver, the games should all be more than watchable because Denver doesn't play defense so the Lakers could average 125 points in the series.

 

The East, well, wake me when the first round is over - with the exception of the Cleveland-Washington series, although I'm not too interested in that one either.

[Guest]

LA over Denver in 5

New Orleans over Dallas in 6 (Don't really get all the Dallas love here, Chris Paul is going to annihilate Jason Kidd)

San Antonio over Phoenix in 7

Utah over Houston in 6 (Houston couldn't win with Yao and homecourt last year so I don't see why they would win this year)

 

Boston over Atlanta in 4

Detroit over Philadelphia in 5

Toronto over Orlando in 7

Cleveland over Washington in 7

 

LA over Utah in 7 (Game 7 at home is the key in the series)

San Antonio over New Orleans in 6

 

Boston over Cleveland in 5

Detroit over Toronto in 5

 

LA over San Antonio in 7 (semi-homer pick)

 

Boston over Detroit in 7

 

LA over Boston in 7 (another semi-homer pick)

 

EDIT: I changed my Utah over Houston pick from "in 5" to "in 6" because I just found out that Utah doesn't have home-court advantage.

Edited April 17, 2008 by soccer10k

[bukie]

Boston over Atlanta in 4

Detroit over Philadelphia in 5

Orlando over Toronto in 5

Cleveland over Washington in 5

 

LA over Denver in 5

New Orleans over Dallas in 7

Phoenix over San Antonio in 6

Utah over Houston in 6

 

Boston over Cleveland in 5

Detroit over Orlando in 5

 

Utah over LA in 6

New Orleans over Phoenix in 7

 

Boston over Detroit in 7

Utah over New Orleans in 6

 

Boston over Utah in 5

[Flames24Rulz]

I'm also very interested in the Western Conference playoffs this year. Should be fun.

 

Boston over Atlanta in 4

Detroit over Philly in 6

Orlando over Toronto in 5

Cleveland over Washington in 5

 

LA over Denver in 7

New Orleans over Dallas in 6

San Antonio over Phoenix in 7

Utah over Houston in 6

 

Boston over Cleveland in 5

Detroit over Orlando in 6

 

Utah over LA in 6

San Antonio over New Orleans in 6

 

Detroit over Boston in 7

San Antonio over Utah in 6

 

San Antonio over Detroit in 5

[RedFlash]

 

I think the Lakers are going to blow Denver away. Kobe is going to be a man possessed and Phil vs. Karl is a monstrous advantage for the Lakers. The Lakers are very dangerous, IMO. Phil has never lost a series where he's had the best player in the world with a decent supporting cast (once we got past Detroit of course!).

 

Contrary to popular belief, I don't even believe Kobe's the best player in the Denver/Lakers series. At least not ARGUABLY. Something tells me, Kobe is going to have to dial it up to get the Lakers past the first rd, and even then, it might not be enough. Because the Nugs do have the big men to match up with the Lakers (Camby/Hilario/Martin .v. Bynum---if healthy---Gasol/Odom). And if Bynum ain't healthy, there not as clear cut as one might think. I mean, look at the Lakers projected starting lineup...Fisher/Bryant/Odom/Radman/Gasol. Not exactly imposing. Then you look at the Nuggs....A.Carter/AI/Carmelo/Martin/Camby, and you smell a potential upset here. I won't be surprise if the Lakers win the series, but it should come to NO SHOCK if the Nuggs eliminate the Lakers, as I believe they will.

 

Spurs vs. PHX is a toss-up but I'll be pulling for the Suns because I like entertaining basketball and I have an irrational hatred for Ginobili.

 

I don't like neither teams, but I kind of pulling for the Suns, especially after they got jobbed in last's yrs playoffs. You think Horry is going to "hipcheck" Nash into the crowd, with Shaq and Amare in the lineup? Think again.

 

Should be an awesome playoff series despite the epic failure of the Bulls season.

 

I agree. I expect TWO upsets in the first rd. The Lakers and the Celts bowed out quickly. I like Hawks athlethicism, talent and stupidity. When I mean "stupidity" I mean they are too stupid to realize they need to bowed down to one of Sterns "creations" and allow the Celts to win. I'm not convince that combining three non-winners=winning solutions. I see the Hawks in 5 here.

[Guest]

Wow. Yeah. I was going to respond to that post regarding the Lakers-Nuggets series but then I read the part about Boston losing to Atlanta in the first round and knew the post had to be a joke.

[RedFlash]

Wow. Yeah. I was going to respond to that post regarding the Lakers-Nuggets series but then I read the part about Boston losing to Atlanta in the first round and knew the post had to be a joke.

 

I didn't say it would happen, but the current players on Boston don't scream, "we're NBA Championship Material." I want to be proven wrong, but I see Boston bowing out early in the postseason.

 

And I can't believe how so many people have bought into the kool-aid that is Boston and LA Lakers. I'm not ready for another "NBA Version" of the Boston/NYY series. So colour me desparate to see a potential, IDK....Orlando/Phx series.

[rawaction]

[

 

So, the Lakers lineup is not good enough to beat Denver, but they were good enough to finish 7 games ahead of Denver in the regular season with Bynum and Gasol not in the lineup for most of that season. Brilliant!

[Derwood]

christ, if we have another San Antonio vs. Detroit finals i'm swearing off the NBA.

[Exile on Waveland]

Wow. Yeah. I was going to respond to that post regarding the Lakers-Nuggets series but then I read the part about Boston losing to Atlanta in the first round and knew the post had to be a joke.

 

He also said Kobe wasn't the best player in the LA-Denver series.

[Exile on Waveland]

christ, if we have another San Antonio vs. Detroit finals i'm swearing off the NBA.

 

This is the NBA. It's going to be LA-Boston.

[Guest]

So, the Lakers lineup is not good enough to beat Denver, but they were good enough to finish 7 games ahead of Denver in the regular season with Bynum and Gasol not in the lineup for most of that season. Brilliant!

 

Lakers went 3-0 against Denver this season and Gasol played in 0 of those games too.

 

Also humorous that Kobe isn't the best player in the series. I mean, he's the best player in the game. But he's definitely not the best player in the series.

[shnsajax]

So, the Lakers lineup is not good enough to beat Denver, but they were good enough to finish 7 games ahead of Denver in the regular season with Bynum and Gasol not in the lineup for most of that season. Brilliant!

 

Lakers went 3-0 against Denver this season and Gasol played in 0 of those games too.

 

Also humorous that Kobe isn't the best player in the series. I mean, he's the best player in the game. But he's definitely not the best player in the series.

 

This is pretty much the only matchup I have a lot of confidence in picking. LA will win, and win easily. Is Odem the player in that series ;-)?

[rawaction]

So, the Lakers lineup is not good enough to beat Denver, but they were good enough to finish 7 games ahead of Denver in the regular season with Bynum and Gasol not in the lineup for most of that season. Brilliant!

 

Lakers went 3-0 against Denver this season and Gasol played in 0 of those games too.

 

Also humorous that Kobe isn't the best player in the series. I mean, he's the best player in the game. But he's definitely not the best player in the series.

 

I'd pick Kobe over any 2 other players in that series. Eh, that may be a stretch, but I'd take him over Melo and AI together, and I'm an Iverson fan.

[Guest]

I'm not convince that combining three non-winners=winning solutions.

 

This is by far the best line in his posts. It just reeks of the "Kerry Wood can't be a closer because he's never saved a game" argument.

[ctcf]

Isiah Thomas finally done as Knicks coach, and even after all he's done he has been kept on in an advisory role.

 

Good lord who does he have dirt on?

[Vanilla Ice]

Let's go Charlotte Hornets.

 

(don't wake me up from 2000)

[Guest]

Apparently we're doing a pool on the NBA playoffs at the office like it's the NCAA tourney. As long as the Lakers don't make the finals, I'm pretty sure I'll win.

 

LA over Denver 4-1

New Orleans over Dallas 4-2

San Antonio over Phoenix 4-3

Utah over Houston 4-1

 

Boston over Atlanta 4-0

Detroit over Philadelphia 4-1

Orlando over Toronto 4-1

Cleveland over Washington 4-2

 

Utah over LA 4-2 (my hatred for all things Lakes besides Jordan Farmar showing?)

San Antonio over New Orleans 4-2

 

Boston over Cleveland 4-1

Detroit over Orlando 4-1

 

Utah over San Antonio 4-3

Boston over Detroit 4-2

 

Boston over Utah 4-1