Basketball (NBA, College, etc.)

adub2adub wrote:Lebron's stats: 37pts, 14rbd, 12asts ... now, that's a line that MJ, Magic, Oscar never had and could only dream of.

Lebron is truly a beast! :bow:

20-year old Magic Johnson in his rookie season, Game 6 Finals vs. the Sixers: 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in a 123-107 win... And the only rookie to EVER win the NBA finals MVP Award.

LeBron can dream about that for the rest of his life, 'cause he'll never be able to match that. :P

bmwracer wrote:
20-year old Magic Johnson in his rookie season, Game 6 Finals vs. the Sixers: 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in a 123-107 win... And the only rookie to EVER win the NBA finals MVP Award.

LeBron can dream about that for the rest of his life, 'cause he'll never be able to match that. :P

Notice I wasn't comparing the magnitude of the games. Pulling those numbers in a Finals as a rookie is clearly remarkable.

Comparing just Lebron's actual stat line though, Lebron's was more impressive than Magic's IMO ... considering he got 12 assists to that cast. Magic just had to step up in a Game 6 ... with a game to spare and Kareem leading in scoring during the season + playoffs.

Lebron has had to CARRY the Cavs in scoring + assists not just in an elimination game, but for the series, playoffs, and for an entire season. In ways, that's just as impressive. :victory:

adub2adub wrote:Comparing just Lebron's actual stat line though, Lebron's was more impressive than Magic's IMO ... considering he got 12 assists to that cast.

But stats are only part of the story... He dropped 49 and lost too, y'know.

Magic just had to step up in a Game 6 ...

Boy, that's a total understatement: Kareem was out with a sprained ankle and game six was written off in favor of the Sixers... Magic played every position and dominated the Sixers... Much more than "just stepping up...." :sweat:

Lebron has had to CARRY the Cavs in scoring + assists not just in an elimination game, but for the series, playoffs, and for an entire season. In ways, that's just as impressive. :victory:

And Jordan never did that? All those MVPs in the regular season and the Finals say otherwise, I think.

Lakers finally play big on the road and close out the Nuggets in a rout, 119-92, in six games...

Whew. :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:
But stats are only part of the story... He dropped 49 and lost too, y'know.

Stats are still the biggest part of the story after the W/L. Lebron had 37/14/12 in a win btw, not a loss. You seemed to miss the point that a main part of how impressive his line was was the triple double to that degree, not just the scoring.

Boy, that's a total understatement: Kareem was out with a sprained ankle and game six was written off in favor of the Sixers... Magic played every position and dominated the Sixers... Much more than "just stepping up...."

Well, not sure what phrase could've emphasized it more ... "stepped up in a major way" perhaps. The point again was to illustrate Magic had a HOF player in Kareem basically every other game in that playoffs. Lebron has had Mo as his sidekick... big drop-off there. :shakehead:

And Jordan never did that? All those MVPs in the regular season and the Finals say otherwise, I think.

No actually. Jordan barely put up any triple-doubles in the playoffs, period. I'm obviously not saying Jordan > Lebron overall, but MJ had Scottie as his facilitator, just like Kareem had Magic. Lebron has always had to play both roles himself. :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:Lakers finally play big on the road and close out the Nuggets in a rout, 119-92, in six games...

Never mind the blowout, I didn't even think they'd win. :ashamed: [/list:u]

gaijinmark wrote: Never mind the blowout, I didn't even think they'd win. :ashamed: [/list:u]

Neither did I, considering past history.... I'm glad they proved me wrong, though. :victory:

This time, Dwight Howard drops 40 on Cleveland and the Cavs are eliminated by the Magic, 103-90.

So much for NBA Commish David Stern's dream Kobe-LeBron matchup. :P :hehe: :rofl:

The Lakers get home court in the Finals, but they also get Dwight Howard, who just might mop the floor with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:This time, Dwight Howard drops 40 on Cleveland and the Cavs are eliminated by the Magic, 103-90.

So much for NBA Commish David Stern's dream Kobe-LeBron matchup. :P :hehe: :rofl:

The Lakers get home court in the Finals, but they also get Dwight Howard, who just might mop the floor with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. :sweat:

The dream will remain a dream, as Orlando was a matchup nightmare for Cleveland. Cleveland did run out to huge leads in the earlier games. The first two games come to mind, but Cleveland could not hold on to those leads. If a few plays turned out differently, it could've been Cleveland going to the Finals, but much credit to Orlando. They overcame those huge deficits, and really dominated the game tonight.

The Magic did win two against the Lakers during the season, and yes, Dwight Howard might mop the floor with Bynum and Gasol, and Lewis and Turkoglu might shoot the lights out, so the Magic have a good shot against the Lakers. I'm just hoping Odom continues his play from the last two games against Denver as the Lakers will definitely need that. I'm sure Gasol will help out Bryant, but Bynum's been pretty much non-existent.

deseipher wrote:The dream will remain a dream, as Orlando was a matchup nightmare for Cleveland.

Yup.

If it weren't for Lebron's miracle shot in game two, Cleveland would've been swept.

The Magic did win two against the Lakers during the season, and yes, Dwight Howard might mop the floor with Bynum and Gasol, and Lewis and Turkoglu might shoot the lights out, so the Magic have a good shot against the Lakers. I'm just hoping Odom continues his play from the last two games against Denver as the Lakers will definitely need that. I'm sure Gasol will help out Bryant, but Bynum's been pretty much non-existent.

I don't know if Bynum is still favoring his knee or what, but he hasn't been much of a contributor on either side of the court... From what I've seen so far in the playoffs from him, his presence in last season's fionals against the Celtics would've made little difference...

bmwracer wrote:
I don't know if Bynum is still favoring his knee or what, but he hasn't been much of a contributor on either side of the court... From what I've seen so far in the playoffs from him, his presence in last season's fionals against the Celtics would've made little difference...

At the very least, Bynum provides six fouls the Lakers can use on Howard. It might backfire since Howard did well at the free throw line against the Cavs, but Lakers can make him work for his points, getting physical and wearing him down a little. If Bynum shows up, then it's just a bonus at this point.

deseipher wrote:At the very least, Bynum provides six fouls the Lakers can use on Howard. It might backfire since Howard did well at the free throw line against the Cavs, but Lakers can make him work for his points, getting physical and wearing him down a little. If Bynum shows up, then it's just a bonus at this point.

Thing is, one Bynum fouls out, who's gonna body up on him?

Gasol?

I guess they'd throw Mbenga or Odom on Howard... :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:
Thing is, one Bynum fouls out, who's gonna body up on him?

Gasol?

I guess they'd throw Mbenga or Odom on Howard... :sweat:

Hopefully Bynum plays Howard physical enough without getting a lot of fouls, but Bynum is no Kendrick Perkins. Make Mbenga earn his paycheck :beaten: Is Adam Morrison still around? Might as well use him too. I'd rather have those guys try to defend Howard and let Gasol worry about offense. Not sure how Odom's back is doing, but I'm not sure he'd provide the defense either. Regardless, the Lakers can only hope to slow Howard down. He'll get his points and rebounds; I'm hoping the Lakers are quick enough in their rotations to cover the outside shooters if they do double up on Howard.

The Magic players are new to the Finals stage, but I don't think they'll fold under the pressure. Not after eliminating Boston and Cleveland. With Howard, Lewis and Turkoglu they present enough matchup problems and they still have guys like Pietrus and Alston. But I do think the Lakers have enough offense to offset the Magic. Ariza and Gasol have the size the Cavs lacked against Lewis and Turkoglu. Kobe will get his points, and he has shown during the Denver series he can get his teammates involved if he's double-teamed. Hopefully Odom keeps up his play.

It's going to be a close, high-scoring series, no different from their regular season games. I'm predicting the Lakers will take the series in seven games. :victory:

And getting way ahead of ourselves, , ,Lebron is a free agent after next year, assuming they get bounced again, wonder how he'll look in a Knicks uniform?

deseipher wrote:Is Adam Morrison still around?

Who knows. :sweat:

He hasn't played a single minute in the playoffs, has he?

The Magic players are new to the Finals stage, but I don't think they'll fold under the pressure. Not after eliminating Boston and Cleveland. With Howard, Lewis and Turkoglu they present enough matchup problems and they still have guys like Pietrus and Alston. But I do think the Lakers have enough offense to offset the Magic. Ariza and Gasol have the size the Cavs lacked against Lewis and Turkoglu. Kobe will get his points, and he has shown during the Denver series he can get his teammates involved if he's double-teamed. Hopefully Odom keeps up his play.

It's going to be a close, high-scoring series, no different from their regular season games. I'm predicting the Lakers will take the series in seven games. :victory:

I can't make a prediction until after game one.

What worries me is that the supposedly "deep" Laker bench has been a no-show for the most part in the playoffs...

bmwracer wrote:Yup.

If it weren't for Lebron's miracle shot in game two, Cleveland would've been swept.

Sweep? Wow, you must really not be impressed with Lebron's triple-double from Game 5.... a performance in a win unmatched since Oscar in 1960 playoffs, which I just recently found out. :beaten:

(Sorry, had to get that in there.) :bonk:

From what I've seen so far in the playoffs from him, his presence in last season's fionals against the Celtics would've made little difference...

Yea, I always thought Bynum COULD have made the difference. Things is, he was supposed to be the tough physical big in the middle for the Lakers. However, watching him this year .... Perkins and KG would have bullied him to the bench.

I can't make a prediction until after game one.

Aww, that's no fun.

Yet, I'm not sure what happens in Game 1 should sway any early prediction (unless it's a major blowout on either side). If Lakers win, that's expected @ home, but even if Lakers lose ... they'll still definitely steal one or two in Orlando.

gaijinmark wrote:And getting way ahead of ourselves, , ,Lebron is a free agent after next year, assuming they get bounced again, wonder how he'll look in a Knicks uniform?

Just watched a clip on ESPN.com and I couldn't help but notice the Yankees cap Lebron had on while talking to the media. Probably doesn't mean anything, but that probably won't stop the rumor mill.

deseipher wrote:I'd rather have those guys try to defend Howard and let Gasol worry about offense. Not sure how Odom's back is doing, but I'm not sure he'd provide the defense either. Regardless, the Lakers can only hope to slow Howard down. He'll get his points and rebounds

I agree with most of your ^ and previous analysis. I dunno if Lakers should double Dwight though ... since allowing open 3s is what would hurt Lakers the most. Just single-cover, focus on preventing passes within 5ft from basket. Remember, Dwight mostly just dunks and does tip-ins ... and does NOT have the skills like Ewing or Hakeem. Worst case, just commit to "Hack-a-Howard" (like with Shaq). He's still only 60+% from FT.

With Howard, Lewis and Turkoglu they present enough matchup problems and they still have guys like Pietrus and Alston. But I do think the Lakers have enough offense to offset the Magic. Ariza and Gasol have the size the Cavs lacked against Lewis and Turkoglu.

Lakers' offense will definitely be too much to handle for Magic ... as Howard might be a defensive beast, but it'll be too hard for him to guard Gasol + Odom in the middle, along with all those Kobe drives inside. Remember, nobody else on Orlando's front-line is exactly good @ D.

Who's gonna guard Kobe too??? There's no Artest or Battier on the Magic. :sweat:

adub2adub wrote:Sweep? Wow, you must really not be impressed with Lebron's triple-double from Game 5

That's irrelevant: There wouldn't have been a game five if it weren't for his miracle shot in game two.

bmwracer wrote:
That's irrelevant: There wouldn't have been a game five if it weren't for his miracle shot in game two.

That's harsh :puppydog: If Lewis and Turkoglu had missed their shots in Games 1 and 2 respectively it very well could have been the Cavs up 2-0. He made a hell of a shot, and his Game 5 performance was incredible for what it is. It brought back memories of another Game 5 performance he had two seasons ago, against the Pistons in the Conference Finals. Too bad Daniel Gibson was nowhere to be found this time around, or any of the other Cavs for that matter, to help Lebron to the Finals like they did two years ago. If anything, his performance in the series has made me a believer, that at this point he's the best player in the league. Sadly, his supporting cast made me a witness to an earlier than expected playoff exit. He's a great player, but as Orlando proved, one great player can't overcome a great team.

adub2adub wrote:I agree with most of your ^ and previous analysis. I dunno if Lakers should double Dwight though ... since allowing open 3s is what would hurt Lakers the most. Just single-cover, focus on preventing passes within 5ft from basket. Remember, Dwight mostly just dunks and does tip-ins ... and does NOT have the skills like Ewing or Hakeem. Worst case, just commit to "Hack-a-Howard" (like with Shaq). He's still only 60+% from FT.

I agree with you about preventing passes within five feet since Howard still doesn't have much of an offense facing his defender. I think back to the series against Boston and how Perkins managed to keep Howard from getting in the post. He only managed 12 points I believe in Game 7 against Boston, a far cry from the 40 he had in Game 6 against Cleveland. I just don't think anyone on that Laker team can get physical enough to force Howard out. Making him earn his points at the free-throw line is definitely an option. One other strategy would be for the Lakers to be aggressive on offense, driving to the basket and see if they can get Howard into foul trouble early and often. As you mentioned, it'll be hard to defend Gasol and Odom inside, and Kobe will be driving inside. He did foul out in three games in the series against Cleveland, although that leaves me wondering just why the heck didn't the Cavs go at him during overtime in Game 4 when he had five fouls. Instead they let him get 10 points during OT. Good job Mike Brown and Co. :shakehead: I think the Lakers should single cover Howard as you point out to prevent those outside shots, but I'm sure there will be times when the Lakers need to double team him. Hopefully they can make their defensive rotations quickly in those situations. One other thing to worry about is that Lewis and Turkoglu are also capable of driving in. Even if Howard can't get his teammates open shots if the Lakers play him with one defender, the other guys can force the Lakers to collaspe on them and kick out to an open shooter. From Lewis, Turkoglu, Pietrus, Lee and Alston, the Magic have plenty of guys who can shoot the three.

Who's gonna guard Kobe too??? There's no Artest or Battier on the Magic

No Carmelo Anthony either, a guy with size to deny Kobe the ball. I'm sure Kobe will get his points, and as long as Gasol and Odom continue their play, the Lakers should be fine offensively. Hopefully Fisher gets his game going as well. Ariza has been good as well, and he can help out defending either Lewis or Turkoglu.