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Just like last year it's time for a new NBA thread for the playoffs. After almost 140 pages of win, here is a fresh start for what is pretty much a brand new slate, the NBA playoffs.
If you want to read up on what happened during the regular season, check >>THIS<< thread (link here in a sec).
Here are (in my humble opinion) some of the most interesting actual/potential plotlines of the playoffs.
Playoff Plot-lines!
1. It's the final day of the season and seeds 2-7 in the West are still unknown
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Has this ever happened before? Not sure... but it's insane. There's an article today on ESPN talking about all the possible finishes and it's pretty mind boggling. Houston alone can end up anywhere from 2, 3, 4, or 5th seed depending on how this final game plays out. The only guaranteed matchup right now is Lakers vs Utah. The way this final day plays out could change the West landscape drastically.
Today (if the standings don't change) we would have:
Lakers == Utah
Portland == San Antonio
Houston == New Orleans
Denver == Dallas
Of which I think Blazers-Spurs and Rockets-Hornets are going to be REALLY great series. How will this change by midnight? Stay tuned.
2. How serious is KG's injury?
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Are they just resting him for the playoffs, or are they masking some sort of crippling issue that will severely limit him in the playoffs. Which leads to another sub-plot, how far can Paul Pierce and Ray Allen carry Boston without Garnett. My guess: not past the 2nd round. Celtics fans, hope KG comes back or you are doomed.
3. Boston-LA finals rematch
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4. Kobe-LeBron Finals
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This along with Celts-Lakers would be a dream finals from a ratings perspective. If you watched how crazy the Kobe-LeBron battles were during their games in the regular season then you will jizz all over yourself at what will happen in the finals.
5. Can Kobe get over the hump and win another ring?
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As they were talking about on Inside the NBA last night... this is a HUGE playoffs for Kobe. He's in sort of a similar situation as the Boston dudes in that, if he doesn't win this year he arguably won't have another real shot at it, especially with some of the Eastern teams (Orlando, Clevland) making huge jumps and likely to keep improving. He has a great supporting cast, he's still on top of his game, but can he finally get another ring? This playoff will show us how badly he really wants to win and how much fire he still has.
6. Will LeBron go Dirk on us after winning the MVP?
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Remember how Nowitzki pretty much blew it in 06 after winning his MVP award? You'd expect the MVP to be dominating the playoffs but he pretty much folded under the pressure. LeBron will win the MVP, but will he crumble in the playoffs?
7. Can Chicago's momentum carry them past the first round? And how good is Derrick Rose really?
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The second question could possibly answer the first. If he's legitimately as good as his regular season has been, the streaking Bulls could likely pull off an upset over a struggling Orlando or Boston team. However if he's like most other rookies and his playoffs production falls, Chicago is in for some trouble. Either way though, they seem to be the most dangerous team outside of Miami
8. How far can Wade carry the Heat?
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1st round exit? 2nd round? East finals? It's anyone's guess. With how he has been playing in the regular season and assuming he gets decent contributions from his teammates, there's no reason to suspect he won't average 45 per game and take them to the finals again, right? Who can stop him..
9. Do the Spurs have anything left?
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For a team notoriously able to divinely draw energy when they need it in the playoffs, you have to think that despite struggling to the finish line of the regular season they are still dangerous in the playoffs and can possibly win it all. Can they though? This year will show us if they have anything left in the tank or if it is time to start rebuilding. The then logical questions would be this: if they are eliminated early (I.E first round), will Duncan and Popovich retire? I think it's possible... I mean they're both getting up there, would you really want to sit through a rebuilding process? I wouldn't.
OR, can they pull some great performances out of their ass and make a splash in the playoffs, possibly leading to a productive free agency over the summer and re-emerge as a dominant force in the West. This next month is crucial.
10. Can anyone in the West challenge the Lakers?
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There seem to be a few teams, Porland, Utah, who can beat LA on their own home floor. But LA has home-court. The Spurs seem crippled, and no playoff team was really successful against them in the regular season. Will the Lakers sweep through undefeated like they did in 02 (i think it was 02 where they went 16-1)? Or will there be a team who can take down the Lakers in a 4 game series.
11. Who Will the Lakers play in the finals?
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Ya... they won't lose in the West, but who will come out of the East to face them? Boston, Clevland, Orlando, *(Miami??)*? You tell me.
Current Matchups *WILL change after today*
West
Lakers == Utah
Dallas == San Antonio
Houston == Portland
Denver == New Orleans
East
Clevland == Detroit
Atlanta == Miami
Orlando == Philly
Boston == Chicago
DISCUSS!
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I have a feeling this is Lebron's year...
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I doubt Lebron will blow it, he's just a guy that wouldn't do that. Except last year when they played horribly against the Spurs, ewww.
And I think Pierce can carry the team himself, I'm still unsure of Ray Allen; yeah he's a really good shooter but he seems to be up and down when I see his stats.
I'm a Celtics fan but I kinda want Kobe to take another ring b/c he's worked so hard for it and last year was just so sad for him and the Lakers. And no more rapping from Shaq!
I also like Dwayne Wade, he was just so beastly this year and somehow they were a 4 seed beating the Mavs in six a couple of years when they won the championship.
I also feel bad for the Spurs, Ginobli is just plagued with injuries and Duncan is getting sorta old. Fortunately, Roger Mason has stepped it up and Tony Parker is still in good shape.
And you made a nice post, sorry not alot of people are watching.
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Rockets lost to the Mavericks, not sure how this will play out in the seeding. BTW, this is alot like last year, where the Lakers were like 15 games ahead and 2-7 or 8 were a difference of 2.5 games. (Btw, how is it 2.5 games? Why the decimal?)
Celtics>>>Washington w/ out Pierce and Allen, Glen Davis with 21 (he made a three pointer, wow) and Powe with 18/13. Bench is becoming alot better. Eddie House with 20
San Antonio>>> N.O (New Orleans is really disappointing this year considering the sorta hype they got last year)
Dallas>>> Houston
LOL Cleveland vs Phillie it's going OT, this is to tie the record of 40-1 at home! (Playing w/ out Lebron)
Miami>>> Detroit w/ out Wade.
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On April 16 2009 11:45 il0seonpurpose wrote: (Btw, how is it 2.5 games? Why the decimal?)
1 game is worth half a game. When two teams faces each other, the difference between the loser and the winner is 1 whole game.
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Im really excited for the Bulls. After a disastrous 07-08 season they are back in the playoffs with a phenom in Derrick Rose. He IS gonna be something big. I think they have a very legitimate chance against the Magic and Celtics. We all know KG wont be 100% and Hedo just got injured (dont know if its really serious or not). Im gonna fill my brackets after today's games are done.
Who Im rooting for:
East: Chicago
West: Houston
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On April 16 2009 11:50 imBLIND wrote:Show nested quote +On April 16 2009 11:45 il0seonpurpose wrote: (Btw, how is it 2.5 games? Why the decimal?) 1 game is worth half a game. When two teams faces each other, the difference between the loser and the winner is 1 whole game.
Oh, ok thanks.
Update: Cavs lost to Phillies at home, not breaking the record. Ouch, 111-110 final.
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On April 16 2009 11:45 il0seonpurpose wrote:
Rockets lost to the Mavericks, not sure how this will play out in the seeding. BTW, this is alot like last year, where the Lakers were like 15 games ahead and 2-7 or 8 were a difference of 2.5 games. (Btw, how is it 2.5 games? Why the decimal?)
Celtics>>>Washington w/ out Pierce and Allen, Glen Davis with 21 (he made a three pointer, wow) and Powe with 18/13. Bench is becoming alot better. Eddie House with 20
San Antonio>>> N.O (New Orleans is really disappointing this year considering the sorta hype they got last year)
Dallas>>> Houston
LOL Cleveland vs Phillie it's going OT, this is to tie the record of 40-1 at home! (Playing w/ out Lebron)
Miami>>> Detroit w/ out Wade.
wtf ... the Lakers weren't 15 games ahead last year??? O__O;; they won the West by 2-3 games
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Ok so the east brackets are done. it looks like this:
Cleveland vs Detroit
Atlanta vs Miami
Boston vs Chicago
Orlando vs Philadelphia
The West isnt done yet because Denver and Portland are still playing.
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I'm a Mavs fan so I'm happy tonight.
I believe we can beat the Spurs, with or without Manu, so yay for 6th seed
As of right now, West standing is smth like this:
Lakers
Nuggets
Spurs
Portland (can change after the Portland - Nuggets game)
Rockets (can change after the Portland - Nuggets game)
Mavs
Hornets
Jazz
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All I know is it will be cavs vs lakers and lakers 2-0ed the cavs this year which is a little scary but the cavs are playing their best basketball of all the year. they barely lost to the sixers in overtime tonight with six of their top seven players inactive. thats pretty insane. also daniel gibson and wally serbiac started to find their shot and that will be tough to beat
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that doesn't mean anything... Philly has been playing terribly for 2 weeks.
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updated with the final standings... discuss!
11. Will Houston make it past the 1st round
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On April 16 2009 14:46 Xeris wrote:updated with the final standings... discuss! 11. Will Houston make it past the 1st round+ Show Spoiler +
Portland is looking really strong. They have the best chance at taking out the Lakers out of anyone in the West.
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Im so mad Boston has to play Chicago 
Fucking Booby Gibson let Philly steal that win
x_x
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and yes Im rooting for Portland too!
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Anyone but LA. They don't float my boat.
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United States4471 Posts
A few thoughts:
1. I think the Lakers have a good matchup in the first round against a struggling Jazz team that seems to struggle against the Lakers bigs (i.e. Odom, Gasol, Bynum). Having Shannon Brown (or ShanWow as I've seen on one site) helps with his good size and strength to help guard Deron.
2. While I think the Blazers are a very talented and dangerous team, I think people are writing off the Rockets too quickly in this matchup. I've read that Blazers fans (and even a few of the Blazers players themselves) were really hoping to avoid the Rockets in the playoffs because HOU seems to match up well with them and give them a lot of trouble. As a Lakers fan, I was hoping for a Rockets-Blazers matchup in the first round because I consider POR to be one of the biggest threats to the Lakers in the West, in large part because of LA's inability to win in POR.
3. I'm not sure the Heat will be able to make it past the Hawks. ATL has a much deeper team and has shown itself to be a tough team, both advantages in the postseason. Joe Johnson is a solid defender who can give Wade problems, and the fact that all of the Hawks' players are almost identically athletically and long makes them able to switch all they want takes away another one of Wade's weapons, i.e. forcing switches and attacking with pick n roll. Wade is incredible, but the Hawks are a pretty good defensive team that has the length and athleticism which can make it hard for Wade over a 7-game series, and there's really no one else to step up on that roster.
4. Celtics-Bulls will be interesting because BOS is coming in looking weaker than it has in a while, whereas CHI is coming in with some good momentum after really picking things up late in the regular season. I think that the Celtics will ultimately come out on top, but the Bulls will give them a harder fight than many suspect. KG returning at anything close to 100% changes my opinion to guaranteed win for BOS in a convincing fashion.
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Cayman Islands24199 Posts
6. Will LeBron go Dirk on us after winning the MVP? this is just lol
lebron is a proven postseason performer, unlike dirk. only haters would ask this question at all
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Lakers-Utah: The hyped story right now is that Utah can't win on the road against good teams. There's something fundamentally flawed or disorganized about them, and they probably would a lot of trouble almost any team in the western conference. Lakers are at a different level than the rest of the west. Lakers win first two, steals at least one game. 4-2 or 4-1.
Denver-New Orleans: Chauncey billups is a strong point guard who could give chris paul some trouble, though paul will still probably put up spectacular numbers. Chandler being injured seriously hurts against denvers strong inside play. Nene is/was leading the league in fg%, due to him having great control of his shots near the basket. Chris anderson has been playing very well. Peja is on the decline, won't be able to defend carmelo, and probably can't score if carmelo doesn't help off him too much. Is kenyon martin really healthy yet? If not, david west is new orleans only non-paul good matchup (except for maybe posey). But kenyon's a great defender, and even if he doesn't score a lot, denver matches up too well against new orleans, and denver can definitely score enough points to win. Denver in 5 if kenyon's healthy, 6 is he's not.
San Antonio vs Dallas: Is Duncan healthy? With manu out, the spurs lack the depth to go very far. However, Dallas is a jump shooting team with mediocre defense vs a great defensive team with weak offense. Dallas' best scorer is Nowitkzi, but he's facing Duncan. This is a possibly injured, aging Duncan's dream matchup. A jump shooting power forward with terrible lateral movement who has trouble against strong defenders, and who is their best scorer? And not one of the very strong ones who gives Duncan trouble with his bankshot or spin move?
Erick Dampier, limited offensively, can outmuscle any non-Duncan spur inside for boards/blocks, but will probably be out at the perimeter guarding Bonner. Quick Parker vs an aging point guard.
Josh Howard is as always the maverick's X factor and best hope, but he is inconsistent. Overall, it should be a route for the spurs, but as the 2009 spurs, somehow they will keep eeking out close wins instead of dominating. Spurs in 6. First two games to the spurs or split, mavericks come roaring back in game 3 and popovich decides it's out of reach at half time, makes adjustments and kills them in the next two or three games.
Houston vs Portland: very interesting matchup. Portland's the new "hot team", Houston's been playing great since McGrady went on the injured list. Young, dynamic athletic team vs a great defensive team with a very special center. Yao can shoot over strong centers or smart centers and still hit seeminly almost every shot if he's not doubled. He's oddly a poor rebounder, as he has trouble competing with athletic centers who rip balls away in midair. This might be a great opportunity for Oden to get some boards, as long as McMilan instructs the foul-prone Oden to avoid fouling the best free throw shooting center in the league. I don't know much about blake, but I know brooks is a lightning fast, small point guard who can get to the rim, and blake looks like, well, a white guy who has trouble defending against lightning fast point guards. Houston is probably thrilled they have artest and battier to defend against brandon roy. Scola is a smart player who somehow gets to the rim, aldridge is an athletic scorer.
This is a toss up. Can scola score enough to keep the rockets in it? Can Roy overcome some of the best perimeter defenders in the league? Can Yao alter enough of Portland's slashing drives? I'll pick Portland in 7 because apparently they have a ridiculous offensive efficiency with a mediocre defense, while Houston has a good defense with a mediocre offense. Expect some blowouts on both sides.
And a true celtics fan does not want the lakers to win. But I'd rather see the lakers win than the cavs. Everybody thinks because a pre-Mo Williams cavs team took the celtics to 7 games that they were almost even with the 2008 celtics, while the 2008 lakers were fundamentally flawed and it showed in 6 games. The hawks took the celtics to 7 games, and in my opinion in 2008 hawks < cavs < pistons << lakers. Until the detroit series, the celtics were screw-ups at away games in the playoffs. By the time the Celtics finished off the Lakers, they would have swept the cavs. Lebron is a great player, but great defensive teams with strong interior presences (orlando, lakers, 2007 spurs, 2008 celtics) make him look mediocre for most of a series. Unlike Jordan, he can be contained.
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EPT
