NBA 2008-2009 !!!!!!!!!!!

[pjam]

1 game showed a lot. The game was the tale of two teams. The first half Cavs destroyed Orlando with great defense. The second half Orlando owned the Cavs by exploiting their defense. IMO depends which team makes the right adjustments and which team shows up the remainder of the series will win.

I have a bais for the Cavs, I am hoping Mike Brown, Lebron and Co. pull it together and take the series. Should be fun to watch (I hope).

Well, no matter how you look at each of these Series, one thing is absolutely clear. This is great stuff! Competitive, amazing talent on display. This is Basketball at a high level IMO. The best vs the best. Kobe v Mello alone is just nutz. What a joy to watch.

 

[Darkseed]

Well, no matter how you look at each of these Series, one thing is absolutely clear. This is great stuff! Competitive, amazing talent on display. This is Basketball at a high level IMO. The best vs the best. Kobee v Mello alone is just nutz. What a joy to watch.

Agreed. Both game 1's were not decided until the final minutes and "stars" stepped up big time. Great drama = great games. The only problem I had were both teams I am rooting for lost

 

[karamazov80]

The only problem I had were both teams I am rooting for lost

I also find that, in general, the refereeing in the NBA is much more arbitrary and inconsistent across players and across games than you typically see in football or baseball. In the playoffs, when the stakes are so high, these problems seem to become magnified, which is sometimes a bummer.

 

[azurepred]

Agreed. Both game 1's were not decided until the final minutes and "stars" stepped up big time. Great drama = great games. The only problem I had were both teams I am rooting for lost

yep.........but i feel Denver isnt mentally tough enough to beat LA, and a lot of you froget the Cavs were in the finals just a couple years ago, so they know what it takes to get back. i think if your Cleveland, they just need to make some adjustments, their defense collapsed in the 2nd half, and they need to put Lebron on turkeyjordan or lewis because its important that the Cavs not let all 3 of their best players have good games.

 

[karamazov80]

yep.........but i feel Denver isnt mentally tough enough to beat LA

I don't think they get much "mentally tougher" than Chauncey Billups, and he's their "quarterback."

 

[azurepred]

I don't think they get much "mentally tougher" than Chauncey Billups, and he's their "quarterback."

yeah but one player doesnt win them a series, its the other players that tend to make stupid mental mistakes down the stretch, and thats not just this year, as they admittedly gave up against LA last year, im not convinced until they prove it against LA, the other teams dont matter at this point, its LA they struggle against

 

[bumblebee]

Lebron is overrated. A real MVP like Kobe or MJ would have taken the ball to the hole in the final seconds and got the basket and the +1.....but LBJ.....he passed the ball to a guy(Mo) that had been having a crap game and hoped he's bail him out.....NO WAY Kobe or MJ pass in that moment. Real leaders and MVP players want the ball when it counts.

 

[Bannister]

I wouldn't say he was making an excuse if he just sat their on the court with his head down for a minute then got up and walked off. But he kept touching his leg and visibly showing discomfort, even the trainers went out there to check on him. I do agree though that this loss gave him a LOT to think about.

To be fair, it looked like he had a cut on his shin, which means he probably got kicked there or something.

 

[karamazov80]

yeah but one player doesnt win them a series, its the other players that tend to make stupid mental mistakes down the stretch, and thats not just this year, as they admittedly gave up against LA last year, im not convinced until they prove it against LA, the other teams dont matter at this point, its LA they struggle against

Though he is one player, I was trying to say that he is the leader of their team, and so far this year has single-handedly transformed them in ways no one could have foreseen last year when, as you note, they were incredibly inconsistent (a mark of mental "weakness," I think--I know this, because I have seen it over and over again with the Saints). Pre-Billups they had no leader and no focus, now they have both, and that has contributed to a real mental toughness across the team, IMO. Of course, they may well lose to the Lakers, but I don't think there is any reason to question their mental toughness at this point, given their playoff record up to now, or to foresee this as causing them to lose. If anything, the fact that the Lakers tend to "take games off" seems more a sign of mental weakness to me.

 

[The ill Jedi]

Lebron is overrated. A real MVP like Kobe or MJ would have taken the ball to the hole in the final seconds and got the basket and the +1.....but LBJ.....he passed the ball to a guy(Mo) that had been having a crap game and hoped he's bail him out.....NO WAY Kobe or MJ pass in that moment. Real leaders and MVP players want the ball when it counts.

Finally we agree on something!!!

To be fair, it looked like he had a cut on his shin, which means he probably got kicked there or something.

He was favoring the other leg, not the bloody one.

 

[Bannister]

Finally we agree on something!!!


He was favoring the other leg, not the bloody one.

 

[The Josh]

Lebron is overrated. A real MVP like Kobe or MJ would have taken the ball to the hole in the final seconds and got the basket and the +1.....but LBJ.....he passed the ball to a guy(Mo) that had been having a crap game and hoped he's bail him out.....NO WAY Kobe or MJ pass in that moment. Real leaders and MVP players want the ball when it counts.

No offense but I'll take Lebron over Kobe. I get tired of hearing/reading folks compare Kobe to MJ. Kobe like many others can wish to be as good as Jordan was. As far as passing or not well I can think of twice in the NBA Finals where jordan passed to open men (John Paxson and Steve Kerr) for game winning shots.

 

[bumblebee]

No offense but I'll take Lebron over Kobe. I get tired of hearing/reading folks compare Kobe to MJ. Kobe like many others can wish to be as good as Jordan was. As far as passing or not well I can think of twice in the NBA Finals where jordan passed to open men (John Paxson and Steve Kerr) for game winning shots.

and that is why you fail.




Passing to guys that are good spot up shooters is one thing but scoring 49pts then being afraid to have the ball in the final seconds is another.

 

[The Josh]

and that is why you fail.

U should be used to failing so its ok that you did this time too.

Passing to guys that are good spot up shooters is one thing but scoring 49pts then being afraid to have the ball in the final seconds is another.

Who said he was scared? He made a pass that didn't work out. Sometimes as the go to guy you have to be aware of when to take the shot or hit the open man. Passing in that situation doesn't mean he was scared at all it makes you smart to know when that forcing it isn't the best way to handle things. Guys like Lebron don't get scared to take the shot in that situation.

 

[azurepred]

Lebron is overrated. A real MVP like Kobe or MJ would have taken the ball to the hole in the final seconds and got the basket and the +1.....but LBJ.....he passed the ball to a guy(Mo) that had been having a crap game and hoped he's bail him out.....NO WAY Kobe or MJ pass in that moment. Real leaders and MVP players want the ball when it counts.

i could not disagree with you more. first of all, it was West that he passed it to for the game winner, not Mo, and seeing as West had just made a 3 ball to put them up just before, so why is it a bad play on Lebron when he is triple teamed in the paint, to pass the ball to a guy for a wide open 3 ball that had just made one in the same exact spot i dont care who you are, the best play is not to force up a shot over 3 guys, its to pass it to the wide open player in the SHORT corner 3. forcing up bad shots does not make you a MVP, finding the player for a wide open shot when your triple teamed does

 

[bumblebee]

U should be used to failing so its ok that you did this time too.




Who said he was scared? He made a pass that didn't work out. Sometimes as the go to guy you have to be aware of when to take the shot or hit the open man. Passing in that situation doesn't mean he was scared at all it makes you smart to know when that forcing it isn't the best way to handle things. Guys like Lebron don't get scared to take the shot in that situation.

huh?.....How are things at mom and dads......yea so that should take care of the fail talk.


Lebron didnt seem to want to have the ball cause he didnt wanna be the one to take a shot and miss or have to go to the line and knock to FT's(and he was pretty bad from the line last night and isnt a great FT shooter at all). Fact is he's been going to the hole and getting calls ALL NIGHT then when it counts he passed to a guy having a crap game who passed to a guy have a worse game.

 

[bumblebee]

i could not disagree with you more. first of all, it was West that he passed it to for the game winner, not Mo, and seeing as West had just made a 3 ball to put them up just before, so why is it a bad play on Lebron when he is triple teamed in the paint, to pass the ball to a guy for a wide open 3 ball that had just made one in the same exact spot i dont care who you are, the best play is not to force up a shot over 3 guys, its to pass it to the wide open player in the SHORT corner 3. forcing up bad shots does not make you a MVP, finding the player for a wide open shot when your triple teamed does

He pass to Mo who passed to West in the corner.

 

[Darkseed]

Lebron is overrated. A real MVP like Kobe or MJ would have taken the ball to the hole in the final seconds and got the basket and the +1.....but LBJ.....he passed the ball to a guy(Mo) that had been having a crap game and hoped he's bail him out.....NO WAY Kobe or MJ pass in that moment. Real leaders and MVP players want the ball when it counts.

Overrated

Lebron is a great player and well deserving of the MVP. Your comparing Lebron to Kobe & Jordan???

Kobe's game is similar to Jordan's in they both are scorers. Lebron's game is more Magic / Robertson. Lebron is not a true scorer and looks to distribute or create for others first. Based on his game he did as expected.

FYI: Jordan passed out on a few "major shots" in his career to Paxson & Kerr. The difference is Jordan's cast made the shot, Lebron's did not.

 

[The ill Jedi]

...scoring 49pts then being afraid to have the ball in the final seconds is another.

I agree.

huh?.....How are things at mom and dads......yea so that should take care of the fail talk.

Hey now.

He pass to Mo who passed to West in the corner.

Nobody wanted it!

 

[The Josh]

huh?.....How are things at mom and dads......yea so that should take care of the fail talk.

Me living at home doesn't mean anything. Love my folks and am taking care of some business. If that means I'm a failure thats ok by me.

Lebron didnt seem to want to have the ball cause he didnt wanna be the one to take a shot and miss or have to go to the line and knock to FT's(and he was pretty bad from the line last night and isnt a great FT shooter at all). Fact is he's been going to the hole and getting calls ALL NIGHT then when it counts he passed to a guy having a crap game who passed to a guy have a worse game.

I didn't take it that way watching him with it. He was waiting for the extra guys to come guard him. He's a decent FT shooter (78% this year and 74% for his career) which should be better but I'm a stickler for people being able to make freebies. If he's being guarded by more than one guy though and can't get to it use that to your advantage by passing to the open man and if they move the ball shots get even more open. Its simple basketball.Something you coach your players to do HIT THE OPEN MAN.