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On May 19 2009 06:27 Xeris wrote:
Orlando matches up very well against Clevland. LeBron's damage offensively is almost 100% done in the paint. Howard might be one of the only people in the NBA who can deny him from getting easy baskets in there, because nobody in the East can single-coverage him successfully. Alston is a good PG who can contend with Delonte West. Mo Williams can be picked up by Pietrus or Courtney Lee, who are both bigger than Mo and very agile. Also, Clevland will have problems dealing with Orlando's shooters... Rashard Lewis is going to be a big matchup problem for them I think, either him or Turkoglu. They're going to need to put LeBron on Turkoglu or Lewis, which means one or the other will be free to do a ton of damage. Neither Big Z or Varajao will be able to neutralize Dwight. I think the series is definitely winnable.
I agree with most of what you wrote in your post but I actually like the way Cleveland matches up with Orlando. First off, Lebron's been shootin Fire this post-season, he's been scoring from everywhere on the court. Howard is a great defender in the paint obviously but he can't stop Lebron and Ilgauskas at the same time, and you know if Howard steps up to defend Lebron he's got the easy dish to Z. Z will also be able to pull Howard away from the basket because he can knock down the mid-range jumper with consistency. I don't really like Delonte but he's talented and he's got a quick drive. Alston is not gonna be able to keep up with him. Redick proved his defense against Ray Allen so he can probably stick with Mo, but the Cavs can draw the defense with Lebron and Delonte which should free up Mo for some looks. Varejao is really the only weak point offensively for the Cavs.
On the other side of the court: Howard is not a great scorer one on one. Between Z's height and Varejao's hair they should keep him in reasonable scoring range, probably under 20 a game. The key will be keeping him under 20 rebounds a game. Alston is decent, but he's really not great. I think Delonte will keep up with him. Redick has 3 inches on Mo which could be a problem, but Redick doesn't really create his own shot well. Rashad and Turk are of course dangerous scorers and whoever gets Varejao will do some damage, but Lebron might be the best defensive forward in the league and the Cavs play great team defense. So basically Rashad and Turkoglu will both have to have consistently great performances for Orlando to have a chance, and that's not easy to do when your primary weapon is the 3-pointer.
As for the benches, they are both good. Petrus and Lee are great players who would be starting on most teams, but the Cavs got Gibson and Sczerbiak who are decent shooters, and Ben Wallace on defense.
Really though, I just don't see Lebron ending the season without that trophy. He's too determined this year to finish with anything less, and he's got the team he needs to get it done.
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On May 19 2009 07:44 SmoKing2012 wrote:Show nested quote +On May 19 2009 06:27 Xeris wrote:
Orlando matches up very well against Clevland. LeBron's damage offensively is almost 100% done in the paint. Howard might be one of the only people in the NBA who can deny him from getting easy baskets in there, because nobody in the East can single-coverage him successfully. Alston is a good PG who can contend with Delonte West. Mo Williams can be picked up by Pietrus or Courtney Lee, who are both bigger than Mo and very agile. Also, Clevland will have problems dealing with Orlando's shooters... Rashard Lewis is going to be a big matchup problem for them I think, either him or Turkoglu. They're going to need to put LeBron on Turkoglu or Lewis, which means one or the other will be free to do a ton of damage. Neither Big Z or Varajao will be able to neutralize Dwight. I think the series is definitely winnable. I agree with most of what you wrote in your post but I actually like the way Cleveland matches up with Orlando. First off, Lebron's been shootin Fire this post-season, he's been scoring from everywhere on the court.
his outside shooting has been terrible.
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On May 19 2009 08:53 Xeris wrote:Show nested quote +On May 19 2009 07:44 SmoKing2012 wrote:On May 19 2009 06:27 Xeris wrote:
Orlando matches up very well against Clevland. LeBron's damage offensively is almost 100% done in the paint. Howard might be one of the only people in the NBA who can deny him from getting easy baskets in there, because nobody in the East can single-coverage him successfully. Alston is a good PG who can contend with Delonte West. Mo Williams can be picked up by Pietrus or Courtney Lee, who are both bigger than Mo and very agile. Also, Clevland will have problems dealing with Orlando's shooters... Rashard Lewis is going to be a big matchup problem for them I think, either him or Turkoglu. They're going to need to put LeBron on Turkoglu or Lewis, which means one or the other will be free to do a ton of damage. Neither Big Z or Varajao will be able to neutralize Dwight. I think the series is definitely winnable. I agree with most of what you wrote in your post but I actually like the way Cleveland matches up with Orlando. First off, Lebron's been shootin Fire this post-season, he's been scoring from everywhere on the court. his outside shooting has been terrible.
No, not really, it's like 36% which isn't too bad. He didn't shoot well against the Pistons but has shot better against the Hawks, so its improvement
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On May 19 2009 09:08 il0seonpurpose wrote:Show nested quote +On May 19 2009 08:53 Xeris wrote:On May 19 2009 07:44 SmoKing2012 wrote:On May 19 2009 06:27 Xeris wrote:
Orlando matches up very well against Clevland. LeBron's damage offensively is almost 100% done in the paint. Howard might be one of the only people in the NBA who can deny him from getting easy baskets in there, because nobody in the East can single-coverage him successfully. Alston is a good PG who can contend with Delonte West. Mo Williams can be picked up by Pietrus or Courtney Lee, who are both bigger than Mo and very agile. Also, Clevland will have problems dealing with Orlando's shooters... Rashard Lewis is going to be a big matchup problem for them I think, either him or Turkoglu. They're going to need to put LeBron on Turkoglu or Lewis, which means one or the other will be free to do a ton of damage. Neither Big Z or Varajao will be able to neutralize Dwight. I think the series is definitely winnable. I agree with most of what you wrote in your post but I actually like the way Cleveland matches up with Orlando. First off, Lebron's been shootin Fire this post-season, he's been scoring from everywhere on the court. his outside shooting has been terrible. No, not really, it's like 36% which isn't too bad. He didn't shoot well against the Pistons but has shot better against the Hawks, so its improvement
A major improvement, at that. Against the Hawks he shot 48% from 3-land. His mid-range shooting has looked good as well, but it's hard to find specific numbers on that.
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Cayman Islands24199 Posts
lebron's shooting is improving across the board, which is just unfair. look at that jump in free throw percentage.
can't wait to see melo owning kobe
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United States10774 Posts
not gonna happen oneofthem
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Roffles
Pitcairn19291 Posts
On May 19 2009 09:44 OneOther wrote:
not gonna happen oneofthem
Melo might not own Kobe, but as a whole, Denver might just get the best of the Lakers. Look for the Nuggets to expose Laker PGs as we see Billups continuously abuse Fisher, Farmar, and Brown.
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United States10774 Posts
On May 19 2009 09:49 Roffles wrote:Melo might not own Kobe, but as a whole, Denver might just get the best of the Lakers. Look for the Nuggets to expose Laker PGs as we see Billups continuously abuse Fisher, Farmar, and Brown.
if laker bigs decide to show up, lakers are unquestionably the favorite. (i guess that's a pretty big if for andrew bynum, but i believe)
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they're still unquestionable favorites. i refuse to believe in the Denver hype until they prove it against the Lakers.
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Billups can post up any of the Laker's bench gaurds.
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On May 19 2009 11:57 tonight wrote:
Billups can post up any of the Laker's bench gaurds.
Yeah, until he sees Gasol and/or Bynum.
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On May 19 2009 11:57 tonight wrote:
Billups can post up any of the Laker's bench gaurds.
but not fisher =p
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I cant believe that Rocket lose 3-4... I thought they gonna lose like 1-4 or 2-4... BUT THEY'VE WON 3 MATCHES OMG!!! VS LAKERS!!! geez they are on fire this year lol
still with Lebron...
cavs fighting? we are still in a SC forum dont we? ;P xD
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On May 19 2009 07:44 SmoKing2012 wrote:Show nested quote +On May 19 2009 06:27 Xeris wrote:
Orlando matches up very well against Clevland. LeBron's damage offensively is almost 100% done in the paint. Howard might be one of the only people in the NBA who can deny him from getting easy baskets in there, because nobody in the East can single-coverage him successfully. Alston is a good PG who can contend with Delonte West. Mo Williams can be picked up by Pietrus or Courtney Lee, who are both bigger than Mo and very agile. Also, Clevland will have problems dealing with Orlando's shooters... Rashard Lewis is going to be a big matchup problem for them I think, either him or Turkoglu. They're going to need to put LeBron on Turkoglu or Lewis, which means one or the other will be free to do a ton of damage. Neither Big Z or Varajao will be able to neutralize Dwight. I think the series is definitely winnable. I agree with most of what you wrote in your post but I actually like the way Cleveland matches up with Orlando. First off, Lebron's been shootin Fire this post-season, he's been scoring from everywhere on the court. Howard is a great defender in the paint obviously but he can't stop Lebron and Ilgauskas at the same time, and you know if Howard steps up to defend Lebron he's got the easy dish to Z. Z will also be able to pull Howard away from the basket because he can knock down the mid-range jumper with consistency. I don't really like Delonte but he's talented and he's got a quick drive. Alston is not gonna be able to keep up with him. Redick proved his defense against Ray Allen so he can probably stick with Mo, but the Cavs can draw the defense with Lebron and Delonte which should free up Mo for some looks. Varejao is really the only weak point offensively for the Cavs. On the other side of the court: Howard is not a great scorer one on one. Between Z's height and Varejao's hair they should keep him in reasonable scoring range, probably under 20 a game. The key will be keeping him under 20 rebounds a game. Alston is decent, but he's really not great. I think Delonte will keep up with him. Redick has 3 inches on Mo which could be a problem, but Redick doesn't really create his own shot well. Rashad and Turk are of course dangerous scorers and whoever gets Varejao will do some damage, but Lebron might be the best defensive forward in the league and the Cavs play great team defense. So basically Rashad and Turkoglu will both have to have consistently great performances for Orlando to have a chance, and that's not easy to do when your primary weapon is the 3-pointer. As for the benches, they are both good. Petrus and Lee are great players who would be starting on most teams, but the Cavs got Gibson and Sczerbiak who are decent shooters, and Ben Wallace on defense. Really though, I just don't see Lebron ending the season without that trophy. He's too determined this year to finish with anything less, and he's got the team he needs to get it done.
They double teamed Pierce and kept jj redick on Ray Allen. They'll probably double lebron while keeping a guy on mo williams, who's proven that he's not a guy that you want to cheat off of.
Howard's not a great one on one scorer, but they don't run the offense through howard. He gets most of his points on putbacks and getting under the rim, and he can easily dunk over a 7'3" guy. On the flipside, Ilgauskas' jumper is going to keep howard away from the rim.
Rashard Lewis vs varejao's going to be an interesting matchup, unless they put hedo on him.
Wow, Ben Wallace is 0-4 from the free throw line this playoffs.
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the fact that Lewis can step out and hit the 3 is going to suck for Varejao... his perimeter defense isn't great, he's a low post muscle kind of guy. if Lewis is playing halfway decently, he'll rain in 3's all day unless they put LeBron on him, in which case Hedo will do the damage.
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Although I don't want to make light of Brian Grant's disease (Parkinson's) I want to point out something funny from the article:
"It is a disease rarer still for a man so adept at coordinating and controlling every ounce and inch of his 6-foot-9, 254-pound frame that he put together a 12-year NBA career by battling Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone and dozens of other bigger, stronger opponents."
Ric Bucher literally lists two of the biggest+strongest players to play in the NBA in the past 30 years, and for SURE during the 90's when Grant was highly active and says "and dozens of other bigger, stronger opponents." I wasn't aware there were dozens of people bigger and stronger than Shaq.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=4174877
Feel really bad for him though, I liked him a lot and he was a great guy.
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it'll be fun to see how magic defends the cavs. really looking forward to it, since detroit and atlanta didnt challenge them much. head says magic has a shot, but gut says cavs will roll in 5 or 6. i do wanna c lebron working for his points this series tho being forced to shoot more jumpers. it'll be epic if he continues his hot streak.
and denver has been just a likable team for me. in the beginning of the playoff, i just assumed lakers will crush everyone to the finals, but rockets and denver have been pleasant surprises, tho lakers had their share of surprise as well. i hope denver brings the series to 7 and make it fun, but I'm really looking forward to lakers vs cavs finals because the season's been building upto it, with christmas match, lakers giving cavs their only home loss (that matters), and as a fan since the 3 peat, .4 second fisher miracle, and many many fond memories of horry finishes, i do hope for kobe's sake that he gets this one! and if kobe doesnt win it, i want lebron to get it cuz he was the one guy that stood out and his effort/ leadership this year is really evident.
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denver a likable team? they're the most thuggish team in the NBA... Chauncey is their least-thuggish player and even he's pretty fuckin ghetto, he's just old so he doesn't show it anymore.
kleiza is afraid to get in the games with these guys =p
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maybe he meant bigger and stronger as in comparison to grant (not shaq and malone)
fuckin-a though, that's so sad.
how much his diet affected his disease and its potential contribution to its development was really interesting though. shows what putting some of the shit in our body that we do nowadays can result in
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I have a theory, well technically a hypothesis, that Shaq has indirectly caused the decline of big men.
Before Shaq, there were many skilled centers. Once Shaq came into the league and dominates with pure size and strength. Basketball players react by thinking they need big bodies to counter Shaq, such as Perkins, Dampier, or Tyson Chandler. Players who would have become the skilled, athletic big men of old became power forwards or bulk up instead.
I have no proof. Remember people used to argue that Michael Jordan destroyed the game by enchanting the new generation of players with his athleticism and his vertical at the expense of fundamentals and shooting skills. The new bulked up generations of centers seems more injury prone and with a much smaller repertoire of post moves, all so they won't get backed down by other bulked up centers.
There was a recent article comparing Kobe's polished game to Lebron's unstoppable dominance. Kobe's game seems like attainable result of unmatched dedication, while Lebron is more like a basketball god to whom we can only be witnesses. However, if player archetypes and player development have shifted towards Jordan and Shaq, maybe there will be a wave of 6'8" running backs entering the nba. I also think that the Shaq change (if it's correct) has centers less effective solely to play the Shaq archetype better.
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EPT
